Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 69: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will take steps to amend the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulation 1994 in order to include epilepsy, which renders a person unable to drive and unable to travel on public transport due to seizures and claustrophobia, as part of the medical criteria, which would enable the person to be considered for a primary medical certificate and thereby qualify for the tax concession as set out in the regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25553/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and Vehicle Registration Tax (up to a certain limit), and exemption from motor tax, on the purchase of an adapted car for transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities.

The disability criteria for these concessions are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. To get a Primary Medical Certificate, an applicant must be permanently and severely disabled within the terms of these Regulations.

Some 13,000 people benefited under the scheme in 2008 at an overall estimated cost of €76 million. Any changes would have to be considered in the context of the annual Budget.