Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Due to the suspension of primary medical certificate assessments in the second half of last year and their reinstatement just last month, approximately 1,500 people are now on the waiting list for an assessment. Alleviating this backlog could be achieved by increasing on a temporary basis the number of medical officers in the HSE to assess applications. However, I believe that current medical officers are now engaged in the vaccine roll-out and are not performing assessments, which will lead to further delays. Many of the people who are waiting will be prisoners in their own homes until they receive their assessments and can access the disabled drivers and passengers scheme. This situation is restricting their independence and can have a negative impact on their mental health.

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