Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 492: To ask the Minister for Finance the action he will take with regard to the large backlog of cases under appeal with the disabled drivers and disabled passengers medical board of appeal; the number of cases on appeal at present on a county basis; the average length of time for an appeal to be dealt with; the reason it is taking so long for appeals to be dealt with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24868/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I do not have any direct responsibility for the operation of the medical board of appeal for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme, which is independent in the exercise of its functions. As I have previously stated in answer to parliamentary questions, there were a number of operational difficulties with the board of appeal. The board was reconstituted earlier this year. A new chairman was appointed in March and a secretary employed in April. The chairman of the board was asked to address the backlog of appeals as a priority. To facilitate more frequent meetings of the board, thereby allowing for progress on the backlog, I made regulations in April 2005 providing for the appointment of up to ten medical practitioners to the board, up from the seven that had previously been provided for. Arising from these measures the time for dealing with an appeal has so far been reduced from three years to two and a half years.

To further facilitate the reduction in the backlog of appeals, I have in the past three weeks made further regulations to remove the restriction on the number of doctors that may be appointed to the board. A large number of doctors would be required to clear the backlog and recruiting them is not without difficulty. I hope to make further appointments to the board, on the nomination of the Minister for Health and Children, in the near future. I am advised that the backlog of appeals is contributed to by a general increase in first instance applications as well as by the fact that a significant number of persons who are aware that they do not meet the criteria, nevertheless avail of their entitlement to a full medical re-assessment on appeal.

The medical board of appeal has provided the following data relating to the number of cases on appeal at present, on a county basis:

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 493: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will review the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme 1994 and amend the medical criteria to ensure that more persons such as stroke sufferers can avail of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24869/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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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; and 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.