Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on whether the present disabled drivers scheme has very limited application and that the backlog of appeals is entirely unsatisfactory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4806/04]

Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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It is a fundamental requirement for the above relief that the applicant must meet the medical criteria specified in the regulations and be in possession of a primary medical certificate to that effect issued by the appropriate senior area medical officer who is an official of the relevant health board. Where the issue of the required certificate is refused this can be appealed to the disabled drivers medical board of appeal, an independent body, whose decision is final.

The medical criteria for the purposes of the tax concession under this scheme are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. Six different types of disablement are listed under the regulations and a qualifying person must satisfy one or more of them. The six types of disablement are as follows: persons who are wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; persons who are wholly without the use of one of their legs and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that they are severely restricted as to movement of their lower limbs; persons without both hands or without both arms; persons without one or both legs; persons wholly or almost wholly without the use of both hands or arms and wholly or almost wholly without the use of one leg; and persons having the medical condition of dwarfism and who have serious difficulties of movement of the lower limbs.

The report of the interdepartmental group on the disabled drivers and passengers scheme, which is under consideration in my Department, examines the criteria for eligibility and its recommendations as regards applicability are being looked at.

Any consideration of a change to the scheme, will among other factors, have to take account of any cost implications. I have been informed there are up to 360,000 persons in Ireland who could be regarded as disabled to some degree or other. These include both persons with medical conditions other than those covered by the scheme, and those with medical conditions covered by the scheme. The substantial tax benefits of the disabled drivers' and disabled passengers' scheme make for considerable interest in and desire to be admitted to the scheme. The cost of reliefs, excluding annual road tax costs, is estimated to be in the region of €36 million in 2003, as compared with €5.1 million in 1994.

My Department has no involvement in the operation of the disabled drivers' medical board of appeal. However, I am informed that there is currently a backlog of appeals to be dealt with by the board. This is an indication of the level of demand for tax relief under the scheme. In addition, the backlog seems to be exacerbated by the fact that many of those who appeal to the board are aware that they do not meet the medical criteria specified in the regulations but still insist on exercising their right of appeal.

I am taking steps to improve the situation by expanding the size of the panel of doctors who sit on the board from the existing three doctors to five, which should facilitate more meetings of the board. The board currently requires all three members in attendance to hold a meeting.