Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to discuss this important issue. I was contacted by a number of people, mainly those aged over 75 and who have certain illnesses and are on medication, who are affected by the requirement to have a medical certificate in order to renew their driving licences, the cost of which is not covered under the medical card scheme.

Many have to renew their licences every three years because that is the rule. In one case, somebody paid €65 to renew a licence, and will have to pay €65 every three years. The Government gave those aged over 70, as well as people with illnesses and special disabilities, medical cards. It is not their fault that they have to get these certifications, the cost of which is not covered under the medical card scheme. I have raised this issue on previous occasions and it did not go anywhere, but it is something that needs to be considered because a huge cohort of people are affected by this. It is not fair that they have to pay anything between €50 and €65 every three years for a medical certificate.