Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of persons on the waiting list for assessment by the medical board of appeal under the disabled drivers' (tax concessions) scheme 1994; the average length of time that persons have to wait to be assessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5185/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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While I have no direct function in the operation of the medical board of appeal for the disabled drivers' and disabled passengers' (tax concessions) scheme, there are approximately 600 persons waiting for an appeal, as of October 2004. The board of appeal is being reconstituted and, therefore, I am unable to determine the average length of time that persons have to wait for an appeal. However, progress is being made on the reconstitution of the board. Under the previous board of appeal, there was a waiting period for appellants in excess of two years.

An interdepartmental review group was established to examine the operation of the scheme and the group's report was published in early July. Following on from the report's recommendations concerning the appeals process, amendments to the regulations governing the disabled drivers' and disabled passengers' (tax concessions) scheme were drafted to improve the operation of the medical appeals board. These were signed by the former Minister for Finance, Mr. McCreevy, on 23 July 2004.

The amendments provide for changes to the existing regulations as follows by expanding the panel of medical practitioners serving on the medical board of appeal from three to five. They also provide for amending the appeals process by introducing a six month waiting period between an appeal and a subsequent application and the requirement for a second or subsequent application to be certified by a registered medical practitioner to the effect that there has been material disimprovement in the medical condition since the previous application.

A panel of five doctors should allow for the board to meet more regularly and reduce the backlog of appeals. A further factor in the backlog is that a number of those who are seen by the board, and are dissatisfied with its decision, are re-appealing immediately, causing a build up of appeals. This change should free up the new appeals board, when in place, to deal with existing appeals in the system and subsequent appeals where a change in an individual's circumstance requires a reassessment.