Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal has handed its resignation into the Minister for Finance. This board plays a key role in the scheme to provide relief for vehicle registration tax, VRT, and VAT on vehicles for people with disabilities. The issue revolves around the disabled drivers and passengers’ scheme which provides tax relief on the purchase of specially constructed or adapted vehicles for someone with a disability. To qualify, applicants have to obtain a primary medical certificate and the criteria for this certificate are to be without both hands or both arms, to be without one leg or two legs, be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both hands or arms and wholly or almost wholly without the use of one leg. The HSE officer assesses applicants for a certificate and if unsuccessful, the applicants can apply to the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal to make an appeal. This board has resigned. It was an independent body operating out of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin. It was there that on average, less than 5% of appeals for certificates were unsuccessful. In March 2021 both members met the Minister to raise their concerns. There are almost 400 people on a waiting list and I ask the Tánaiste to please give us an update on this situation.

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