Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister's comments, which are very positive, but I seek some clarity from him. According to the feedback I have received from constituents, it seems these primary medical certificates are being processed again. Will the Minister clarify that, and ensure that the HSE starts to process the certificates and deal with the backlog? My concern is that many of the staff who were processing these applications until June or July when they were suspended are now doing other work and dealing with Covid-19. While, in theory, the scheme has been reopened, the difficulty is there is no one to carry out the assessment. As a result, 1,500 people are being denied access to the disabled drivers scheme.

The Minister stated the scheme is being reinstated, pending a review of its original design. Does that mean appeals that would have been successful last year or the previous year will not now be successful? The difficulty is that the medical practitioner within the HSE locally has no discretion in respect of the scheme. Someone either qualifies or does not qualify through not having the use of two limbs, for example, but there has, historically, been discretion at the appeals stage, which is dealt with by the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire.

Will the discretion that has been used by the appeals board in Dún Laoghaire still apply as a result of the changes the Minister is bringing forward?