Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 63: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if regulations governing primary medical certificates can be extended to qualifying persons for VRT exemptions to facilitate the elderly who have very restricted movement, particularly in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19678/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that the law in regard to Primary Medical Certificates is contained in Section 92 of the Finance Act, 1989 (as amended) and the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations, 1994 (S.I. 353 of 1994).

Primary Medical Certificates are issued by the local Senior Medical Officer who is an official of the relevant Health Service Executive administrative area. Where the Senior Medical Officer refuses a certificate this decision may be appealed to the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal, an independent body whose decision is final.

The medical criteria set out for entry to the Scheme are that the person must be severely and permanently disabled and come within at least one of the following categories:

(a) Be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs.

(b) Be wholly without the use of one of their legs and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that they are severely restricted as to movement of their 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.

(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. It examined the current benefits, the qualifying medical criteria, the Exchequer costs, relationship with other schemes and similar schemes in other countries. The report also made a number of recommendations, both immediate and long-term, referring respectively to the operation of the appeals process and options for the future development of the scheme. The Group's report is published on my Department's website.