Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Following the resignation of all previous Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal (DDMBA) members in November 2021, the process of re-establishing the Board has proved to be very challenging. The background to the process to date is set out below.

With respect to the recruitment of new members, it should be noted that five members are legislatively required for a functional Board with a quorum of three needed for any appeal hearing. The Department of Health has led on all actions and tasks with respect to Expression of Interest Campaigns to recruit candidates. Department of Finance officials have provided support to the Department of Health in this matter. Active recruitment efforts began shortly after the resignation of all members in November 2021, with the first Expression of Interest Campaign launched in January 2022. By November 2022 after three recruitment campaigns, five individuals had been nominated by the Minister of Health, pending successful completion of Garda vetting of two final candidates. These candidates successfully completed Garda vetting in January 2023.

Engagement began in December 2021 with the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), to ascertain the conditions for their continued hosting of the new DDMBA. In February 2023, the National Rehabilitation Hospital (that has hosted the DDMBA since 2000) indicated their intention to withdraw their services with immediate effect. Finance and Health officials are actively seeking to implement new arrangements, including engaging with the NRH. As there are a range of requirements and complex issues involved this may take some time.

In March 2023, one nominated member of the Board resigned for personal reasons. Department of Health officials, with support from my officials, have launched another Expression of Interest Campaign, the closing date for which has been extended to 28th April as only one application was received by the original closing date.

Requests for appeal hearings can still be sent to the DDMBA secretary based in the National Rehabilitation Hospital.

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.