Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree that the present system is not fit for purpose. One clear example is that a person who is registered as blind cannot qualify as a disabled passenger. That shows the total nonsense of the medical criteria at present. I reiterate the example of a person without an upper limb being told they did not fulfil the necessary criterion. Why should a person without an upper limb not qualify as a disabled person to be, perhaps, a disabled driver? They should be perfectly entitled to it. It is crazy for a blind person to be told that he or she does not qualify as a disabled passenger. Of course the entire scheme should be reviewed.

I welcome the Senator's proposal that the scheme should be overhauled. It is outdated and has not been looked at for a long time. One very important purpose for this committee to fulfil is creating circumstances whereby it would be looked at again. It is not opening the floodgates, the scheme is either fit for purpose or it is not.