Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 139: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of persons who are on the disabled drivers medical board of appeal's waiting list; the number on the appeal list for each county; the average waiting time before an appeal is heard; the percentage of appeals which are successful on a county basis. [16288/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I understand that there are approximately 600 individuals on the disabled drivers medical board of appeal waiting list, with a current average waiting time in excess of three years. There were a number of operational difficulties with the board of appeal and these have now been resolved. The new chairperson of the board, whom I appointed on 14 March 2005, has been asked to address the backlog as a priority. In this respect, I understand that there will be more frequent meetings of the board of appeal, possibly as often as once a week. To facilitate more frequent meetings, I brought in new regulations on 7 April 2005 which will allow for the appointment of up to ten medical practitioners to the board of appeal. Prior to July 2004, the regulations only allowed for the appointment of three medical practitioners. It is intended that these improvements will substantially reduce the current waiting time for an appeal.

Information in respect of the number of appeals to the board on a county basis is not held by my Department or the Revenue Commissioners and I understand that accurate information in regard to this is not readily available at this time from the board of appeal. However, as part of the reconstitution of the board, resources are being made available to develop an improved database which should address this. I will arrange for this information to be forwarded to the Deputy when available. In respect of the percentage of appeals which are successful on a national basis, the report of the interdepartmental group, which reviewed this scheme, stated that approximately 17% of appeals were successful over the period 1998 to 2001.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Finance if he intends to relax the very strict criteria required to qualify for a primary medical certificate. [16290/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions scheme which is open to people with disabilities who meet the specified criteria and have obtained a primary medical certificate to that effect from the local Health Service Executive.

The medical criteria for the purposes of the tax concessions 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 leg and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that the applicant is severely restricted as to movement of the 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.

An individual who qualifies under the medical criteria, as set out above, is issued with a primary medical certificate. Possession of a primary medical certificate qualifies the holder for remission or repayment of vehicle registration tax, VRT, a repayment of value added tax, VAT, on the purchase of the vehicle and a repayment of VAT on the cost of adaptation of the vehicle. Repayment of the excise duty on fuel used in the motor vehicle and exemption from annual road tax to local authorities are also allowed.

An interdepartmental review group was established to review the disabled drivers' and disabled passengers', tax concessions, scheme. The group examined all aspects of the scheme including the qualifying medical criteria. The report was published on my Department's website in July 2004 and copies have been placed in the Oireachtas Library. As agreed by Government in June 2004, I will consider the report on an ongoing basis in the overall budgetary context having regard to the existing and prospective cost of the scheme.