Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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205. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the supports available to ensure people with cerebral palsy can adapt their cars to continue living independent lives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39916/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Government is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are supported to live independent lives of their choosing on an equal basis with all others.

Under the remit of the Department of Finance, the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT (up to a certain limit) on the purchase of an adapted car for transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities, payment of a Fuel Grant, and an exemption from Motor Tax.

To qualify for the 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.