Niall Blaney (Donegal North East, IND-FF)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will review an application lodged by persons (details supplied) in County Donegal for funding towards the purchase of a multiple purpose vehicle to facilitate their son; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32166/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Supports or services for persons with disabilities or certain physical or mental medical conditions in respect of those disabilities are primarily a matter for the Department of Health and Children. Having said that, I presume that the Deputy means to make reference to an application on behalf of the person concerned for VRT, VAT and mineral oil tax concessions under the disabled drivers and disabled passengers, tax concessions, scheme operated by my Department, and in particular the application for the primary medical certificate required for eligibility for the scheme.

I cannot comment on a decision made in a particular case by the director of community care and area medical health officer of the Health Service Executive. I can say, however, that the scheme, as currently constituted, requires that the subject of the application be severely and permanently disabled and satisfy one of the following conditions: (a) be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; (b) be 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; (c) be without both hands or without both arms; (d) be without one or both legs; (e) be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both hands or arms and wholly or almost wholly without the use of one leg; or (f) have the medical condition of dwarfism and have serious difficulties of movement of the lower limbs.

A special interdepartmental review group reviewed the operation of the disabled drivers scheme. The terms of reference of the group were to examine the operation of the existing scheme, including the difficulties experienced by the various groups and individuals involved with it, both on an administrative and user level, and to consider the feasibility of alternative schemes, with a view to assisting the Minister for Finance in determining the future direction of the scheme.

The group's report, published on my Department's website in July 2004, sets out in detail the genesis and development of the scheme. It examines, among other things, the qualifying medical criteria. The report makes a number of recommendations, both immediate and long-term, encompassing the operation of the appeals process and options for the future development of the scheme.

In respect of the long-term recommendations, which would involve reforming the medical qualifying criteria, given the scale and scope of the scheme, further changes can only be made after careful consideration. For this reason, as agreed by the Government in June 2004, I will consider the recommendations contained in the report of the interdepartmental review group in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to the existing and prospective cost of the scheme.

This Government is committed to supporting and reinforcing equal participation in society by people with disabilities. I remind the Deputy that disability was one of the priority areas where I substantially increased investment in budget 2005.