Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo-Leitrim, Eamon Scanlon, says the phasing out of the Rehabilitative Training (RT) Bonus is an unfair cut to adult day service clients using Rehabilitative Training Programmes.
He commented, “Phasing out this weekly payment of €31.80 per week will take away independence from many. This weekly payment, often used by clients to meet any associated costs of attending day services, will be missed by recipients who have budgeted for it.
“When I asked the Taosieach to look into this problem he informed me he was ‘
not aware of it, I will have it checked out
’ which reveals a lot about his approach to the health sector.
“I do not buy Minister McGrath stating that the phasing out of the payment is linked to HSE plans to reconfigure and personalise HSE funded adult day services. In reality the HSE are moving funding around as budgets are running high.
“I am very disappointed that Fine Gael have begun the phasing out of this payment from September 2019. It is some saving grace that those receiving the RT Bonus will continue to be paid until they complete their four-year programme.
“I would urge the government to look again at this payment with a view to its retention,” concluded Deputy Scanlon.
