Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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461. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether an organisation (details supplied) is randomly selecting elderly persons as part of the selection for renewal of disabled parking permits; if he will raise the matter with the organisation in an effort to stop same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43376/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The Irish Wheelchair Association issues Disabled Parking Permits on behalf of my Department. All permits are required under legislation to be renewed every two years. As part of the renewal process, permit holders are required to complete an application form which is forwarded approximately four weeks before the expiry date on their current permit.

As part of the renewal process, ten percent of permit holders are randomly selected to have their GP complete the medical section of the application. This is the same criteria that applicants are required to have completed by their GP when applying for the first time for a permit. Frequently as a result of this process, applicants at renewal stage are found to no longer qualify for the permit. The remaining 90 percent of renewals are not required to get a medical sign off.

Permit holders who  have a Primary Medical Certificate and who have a permanent visual impairment are excluded from being randomly selected. There is no criteria in the random selection process that relates to age, gender or disability.