Gay Mitchell
Question:220 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the assistance available to a person (details supplied) in County Galway. [6410/02]
Written Answers. - Disabled Drivers.
As the Deputy is aware, the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations, 1994, were drawn up by the Minister for Finance and come under the remit of the Revenue Commissioners. The Department of Health and Children has no statutory responsibility for the regulations or their operation.
To qualify, a person must meet the medical criteria specified in the above regulations which are not set by the Department of Health and Children. The senior area medical officer for the relevant health board area will issue a primary medical certificate if he-she is satisfied that the applicant fulfils the medical criteria set out in the Department of Finance's Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations, 1994. This role is to assist the operation of the Revenue scheme.
If a person is dissatisfied with a decision of a senior area medical officer in respect of primary medical certification, it is open to that person to appeal to the medical board of appeal. However, as with the above regulations, the Department of Health and Children has no statutory responsibility for this board of appeal.
I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to two other schemes which come under the aegis of my Department. The motorised transport grant is a means tested payment administered by the health boards. The purpose of this grant is to provide assistance for persons with a disability who may need a car to obtain-retain employment or to provide assistance for persons with a disability who are living in very isolated circumstances and have serious transport problems.
To be eligible to receive the motorised transport grant applicants must satisfy the following conditions: their disability must impede their use of public transport; they must hold a driving licence; they must be physically and mentally capable of driving; and the motorised transport must be a necessity in order for the person to obtain-retain employment or the person must have a transport requirement because of very isolated circumstances.
Applications may also be considered in cases where persons with severe disabilities are incapable of managing the controls of a car or where on medical opinion it is inadvisable for them to drive and therefore they must be driven to and from their place of employment. In such cases, the car must be purchased by the person with a disability and the name of the person who will drive this person to and from his-her place of employment must be notified to the relevant health board. The maximum motorised transport grant is currently €4,370, effective from 1 January 2002.
The mobility allowance is a means tested payment which is administered by the health boards. The purpose of the allowance is to provide financial support for severely disabled people who are unable to walk or use public transport, for example, to finance the occasional taxi journey.
To be eligible to receive this allowance applicants must satisfy the following conditions: be over 16 years and under 66 years; be living at home or maintained in any long-term institution; be unable to walk, even with the use of artificial limbs or other suitable aids, or must be in such a condition of health that the exertion required to walk would be dangerous; inability to walk has to be likely to persist for at least one year;moving of the applicant must not have been forbidden for medical reasons; and be in a condition to benefit from a change in surroundings.
An eligible person who is benefiting from the Disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme may receive the mobility allowance up to a maximum of €63 per month. If an eligible person is not benefiting from the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme, he-she may avail of the mobility allowance up to a maximum of €126 per month – rates effective from 1 January 2002. It is a matter for the senior area medical officer in the relevant health board to decide whether the medical criteria are satisfied in each case.
If the individual to whom the Deputy is referring in this case feels that he may qualify for the motorised transport grant or the mobility allowance, he should contact the Western Health Board, 25 Newcastle Road, Galway for further details and an application form.