Written answers
Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Department of Finance
Departmental Bodies
Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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168. To ask the Minister for Finance when the new board of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeals will be constituted and operational; if he will provide a breakdown of the number of appeals, by county awaiting a decision at the inactive Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeals, given the unacceptable delay in processing appeals following the dissolution of the board in November 2021; and if he will consider an amnesty and approval for the many cases left waiting an inordinate length of time through no fault of their own. [50759/23]
Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Progress has been made on efforts to convene a new Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeals (DDMBA), to secure new hosting arrangements for the DDMBA and to recommence the appeals process.
I have now formally appointed all five members to the new DDMBA. Funding arrangements between the Department of Finance and the Department of Health have been agreed. On this basis the National Rehabilitation Hospital has confirmed they will again host the DDMBA. Preparatory work is underway, that will include due deliberation on how best to clear the backlog. The appeals process will re-commence upon completion of this work.
It is hoped that appeal hearings will recommence in the first half of December 2023.
I appreciate that it has taken far longer than anticipated to get to this point. With the Department of Health we have had to run four Expression of Interest campaigns over 18 months to source the legislatively required five members. We have also had to re-negotiate new hosting arrangements with the NRH following their withdrawal of services in February 2023.
Finally you should note that I have no role in relation to the granting or refusal of PMCs and the HSE and the Medical Board of Appeal must be independent in their clinical determinations.
As of 7 November 2023 there were 1,138 appeals outstanding. County breakdowns are not available.
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