Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 11 May 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme: Former Members of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal

Photo of Pearse DohertyPearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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It is also uncanny that a log is not provided in the response to the freedom of information request. Such a log would tell us exactly when the document was created because the log is linked into the system. The letter that the Minister sent to Dr. McDonagh indicated the approach he was taking as he looked forward. He was suggesting that he was going to set up a working group, of which Dr. McDonagh is now part, to operate concurrently with the work that would be done by the NDIS working group on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. He made the point that it was important for the members of the DDMBA to see substantial progress being made towards a new scheme. He said that if there was a delay in the secondary approach, the Department of Finance could implement the changes. Is it Dr. McDonagh's understanding that this is still on the cards? From our knowledge, the only meeting that took place in regard to the other working group with which she is concerned was on 26 January last, which coincided with the Minister being questioned here about the emerging information that the board of appeal had resigned. Is there still an approach from the working group of which Dr. McDonagh is part that could progress some of these matters independently from the work being done by the NDIS group?