Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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217. To ask the Minister for Finance the updated position regarding the review of the disabled drivers’ and disabled passengers' scheme, the appeals board; the criteria, in particular, for the primary medical certificate; the stage the review is at; if the working group completed its report; when the report will be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9665/23]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme provides relief from Vehicle Registration Tax and VAT on an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant.

The Scheme is open to severely and permanently disabled persons as a driver or as a passenger and also to certain charitable organisations. In order to qualify for relief, the applicant must hold a Primary Medical Certificate issued by the relevant Principal Medical Officer (PMO) or a Board Medical Certificate issued by the Disabled Driver Medical Board of Appeal (DDMBA). To qualify for a Primary Medical Certificate an applicant must be permanently and severely disabled, and satisfy at least one of the six medical criteria:

- 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.

My predecessor Minister Donohoe committed to a comprehensive review of the Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (DDS) as part of a broader review of mobility supports. In order to achieve this objective, Minister O’Gorman agreed in September 2021 that the DDS review should be incorporated into the work of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) Transport Working Group (TWG).

The NDIS TWG was tasked, under Action 104 of the NDIS, with reviewing all Government-funded transport and mobility supports for those with a disability and for making proposals for transport and mobility solutions for those with a disability.

The Working Group, under the Chairpersonship of Minister of State Anne Rabbitte, held a number of meetings across 2022 and produced a report which has just been published ( 27 February 2023) by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth who led the NDIS TWG and were responsible for the review.

As part of its engagement in this process, the Department of Finance established an information-gathering Criteria Sub-group (CSG) at the start of 2022. Its membership comprised of former members of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal (DDMBA) and Principal Medical Officers (PMOs) in the HSE. Its purpose was to capture their experiences, expertise and perspectives in relation to the practical operational and administrative challenges of the DDS, as well as to explore what alternative vehicular arrangements were available for those with mobility issues based on international experience. The CSG work led to the production of five papers and a technical annex, submitted to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in July 2022.

The main conclusion of the CSG is that the DDS needs to be replaced with a fit for purpose, needs-based vehicular adaptation scheme in line with best international practice.

This conclusion, together with design principles and parameters for the new scheme as based on international practice, were incorporated into a response by the Department of Finance to three questions posed in September 2022 to members of the NDIS Transport Working Group, in respect of proposals for enhanced, new and/or reconfigured supports to meet the transport and mobility needs for those with a disability.

In respect of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeals, as the Deputy is aware the previous members of the DDMBA resigned effective from 30th November 2021. Since then two Expression of Interest campaigns have been held, seeking suitable candidates for the Board. The Department of Health has led on all actions and tasks with respect to the Expression of Interest Campaigns. Department of Finance officials have provided support to the Department of Health in this matter.

The first campaign closed on 29th April. As there were insufficient suitable candidates arising from the first campaign, a second round was issued with a closing date of 5th July 2022. Five members are legislatively required for a functional Board with a quorum of three needed for any appeal hearing. Two other candidates were recently nominated by the Minister for Health. All five candidates have now successfully completed Garda Vetting.

I had hoped that I could finalise these appointments and recommence the work of DDMBA in the next few weeks, but unfortunately the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) have just informed me that they wish to cease their involvement with the scheme. As their facilities and secretarial service, which are funded by my Department, are integral to the operation of the DDMBA, there is likely to be a further delay before the appeals process can re-commence. My officials are currently examining what other alternative options may be available to get the scheme up and running again.

You should be aware that assessments for the primary medical certificate, by the HSE, are continuing to take place. In this regard, an important point to make is that even though there has been no appeal mechanism since the previous Board resigned, applicants who have been deemed not to have met one of the six eligibility criteria required for a PMC are entitled to request another PMC assessment six months after an unsuccessful PMC assessment.