Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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78. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to allow persons that are registered blind to avail of tax relief under the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8845/20]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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To qualify for the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme an applicant must be in possession of a Primary Medical Certificate. To qualify for a Primary Medical Certificate, an applicant must satisfy one of the following conditions:

- be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; 

- be wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that the applicant is severely restricted as to movement of the lower limbs;

- be without both hands or without both arms;

- be without one or both legs;

- be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both hands or arms and wholly or almost wholly without the use of one leg;

- have the medical condition of dwarfism and have serious difficulties of movement of the lower limbs.

The Scheme represents a significant tax expenditure. Between the Vehicle Registration Tax and VAT foregone, and the fuel grant, the scheme cost €65m in each of 2016 and 2017, €70m in 2018 and €72m in 2019. This figure does not include the revenue foregone in respect of the relief from Motor Tax, which is also available to those who avail of the Scheme.

I understand and sympathise with any person who suffers from a serious physical disability and can’t access the scheme under the current criteria. However, given the scope and scale of the scheme, any possible changes to it can only be made after careful consideration, taking into account the existing and prospective cost of the scheme as well as the availability of other schemes which seek to help with the mobility of disabled persons, and the interaction between each of these schemes.  

Accordingly, I have no plans to amend the qualifying medical criteria for the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme at this time.