John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In the Estimate, there is a figure for disabled drivers and the refund in respect of the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme. All of us, from time to time, requested that the scheme be reformed or made more accessible. Are there discussions in the Department regarding reform in this area? Turning to the loss of a disabled driver permit, such a decision will mean that the relevant tax will be due for collection again. A disabled driver availing of tax relief for a car but who subsequently loses that status will, therefore, be obligated to pay back the tax concerned, or a portion of it.

Such a situation puts the holder of that status at a disadvantage in dealing with the Revenue, and that agency does not have an appeals system. It is necessary, instead, to go back to the HSE and the relevant section in that body. There are, therefore, anomalies in this scheme that should be addressed, and I am just using this opportunity to bring those anomalies to the attention of the Minister of State because this situation puts the taxpayer at a serious disadvantage. Will the Minister of State provide us with a note on this issue and in respect of the Department's intentions regarding the scheme?