Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Finance if a review of the qualification criteria for the primary medical certificate is required; and if there is a need to consider the inclusion of further disabilities in the qualifying criteria for the primary medical certificate in order to permit persons, suffering from such disabilities and who are forced to make adaptions to their vehicles as a result of these disabilities, to avail of the tax reliefs provided through the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme [50776/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concession) Scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT (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.

A number of Government departments and agencies are involved in meeting the mobility needs of people with disabilities. A vehicle tax concession scheme is only part of the overall approach and its operation is reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Some 13,000 people benefited under the scheme in 2011 at an overall estimated cost of €51 million. Given the scale and scope of the scheme, any possible changes can only be made after careful consideration and with regard to the existing and prospective cost of the scheme and the available resources.