Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 669: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if disabled driver qualification criteria will be widened to include passengers with Down Syndrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9828/11]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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New regulations for eligibility for the Disabled Parking Scheme will come into force on 1 June. The changes to the Scheme arise from a review of the Scheme published by my Department last year. This review was conducted by my Department in consultation with the two organisations which operate the Scheme, the Disabled Drivers Association of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. The review found that the numbers of parking permits issued and applications being received by the issuing authorities have increased substantially in recent years. With over 80,000 parking permits issued, the imbalance between numbers of permit holders and available parking bays has steadily deteriorated, with severe consequences for seriously mobility impaired permit holders who regularly cannot access appropriate parking bays and are, accordingly, prevented from accessing services. In consequence, the review recommended a change to the criteria for eligibility for the Scheme to shift the focus from eligibility based on a given medical condition to eligibility based on degree of mobility impairment. Permits will in future be available only to people whose condition severely restricts their mobility. This means that in future the Scheme will benefit more those for whom it was originally designed. In cases where passengers with Down Syndrome have severe mobility impairments they will of course be eligible for a permit under the revised rules.