Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Finance the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford was refused the application for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions regulations; the options which are available to this person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38661/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The disability criteria for eligibility for the tax concessions under this scheme are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. A person must be severely and permanently disabled and satisfy one of the following conditions: be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; 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; be without both hands or without both arms; be without one or both legs; 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 have the medical condition of dwarfism and have serious difficulties of movement of the lower limbs. It is wholly a matter for the relevant senior area medical officer within the HSE to determine whether or not a particular applicant qualifies for the primary medical certificate under the scheme. The medical officer is independent in this function. A refusal of the primary medical certificate is appealable to the disabled drivers medical board of appeal. The Department is responsible for two other schemes that provide assistance in certain circumstances for people with disabilities. They are the mobility allowance and the motorised transport grant.