Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that. Sometimes, the action is very small but it is life-changing for individuals. In some cases, people are prisoners in their own homes, in particular those living in rural Ireland who do not have a car. While this scheme provides VAT rebates and VRT rebates, the person still has to have the money to purchase the vehicle in the first instance.

Mr. Deering mentioned in his opening statement that many of the concerns raised by the appeal board, which resigned en masse, mirror some of the concerns he has expressed today. Has he had any interaction with the former appeal board in regard to their concerns? The Office of the Ombudsman has received hundreds of complaints in regard to this scheme. As bad as things were previously - and we know things were not good - people had an option to appeal. They no longer have an option to appeal. The Minister was informed in October that the board was resigning en masse.Has the Ombudsman's office had any indication of when that board will be reinstated such that, as bad and as the restrictive the scheme is, there is a next step for families.