Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)

Since the early 1990s many voluntary organisations have made representations to the Department of Finance regarding the Disabled Drivers (Taxation Concessions) Regulations 1989. The Minister for Finance established a review group in 1997 to take submissions and report to him on the matter instead of making a decision on these representations. The scandal is that seven years later the report has not been published.

I have tabled several parliamentary questions on this matter. The group reported to the Minister in October 2002, but a year and a half later he still has not published the report or made a decision on its recommendations. He has given no indication about what he will do in terms of the recommendations. I have raised this issue in letters to the Minister and through parliamentary questions on many occasions over the past five or six years. I received another useless reply from the Minister today, which stated:

I wish to acknowledge receipt of your recent letter regarding the disabled drivers' and disabled passengers' tax concessions scheme. I will be in contact with you again on the matter as soon as possible.

The report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities, entitled A Strategy for Equality, was published in 1998 and was endorsed by all political parties. It welcomed the Finance Act 1996 amendment, which reduced the cost of motor vehicle adaptation from 20% to 10% of the motor vehicle for disabled persons. The commission further recommended that the percentage should be reduced to zero over the next three years and it acknowledged that a car was essential for many people with disabilities. Eight years later, nothing has happened in that regard.

I refer to adapting the car for a disabled driver or passenger. To qualify for the tax rebate the disabled car owner must spend at least 10% of the net cost of the car on adapting the vehicle. This amounts to approximately €1,600 for an average car. The regulation results in an unnecessary rip-off of disabled people. Practically all of them can enter or exit a motor vehicle with limited physical assistance through the use of a simple bridge board supplied by health boards, thus avoiding the necessity of installing a swivel seat. However, if they are to qualify for the remission of VRT and the repayment of VAT on the cost of the car, the cost of adaptation must be at least 10% of the base value of the motor vehicle and because of their limited income and circumstances, disabled people cannot afford this if they do not qualify for the tax rebate.

The criteria for qualification for the tax concession should be based on strict medical certification of an applicant's degree of disability and on disability alone. They then would not be required to incur the cost of adaptation, which is 10% of the base value of a motor vehicle. That bears no relationship to the disability nor is it of assistance to the disabled passenger. I appeal to the Minister of State to ask the Minister for Finance to publish the report and outline whether he will adopt the necessary recommendations in it.

The disabled passenger or his spouse, who might be a full-time carer, is issued with a free travel pass, courtesy of the Department of Social and Family Affairs, even though the Department knows a disabled passenger cannot avail of bus services because they are not wheelchair accessible, and they do not exist in some rural areas. They are entitled to the same privileges as able-bodied people but the only option they have is to convert a motor vehicle.

I appeal to the Minister to publish the report and acknowledge whether he will implement the recommendations and abolish this unnecessary and useless provision that 10% of the net cost of a car must be expended on adapting it for a disabled passenger or driver.

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