Vol. 560 No. 1
259 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Finance the reasons an application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork for a disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions grant was refused; and if he will reconsider this person's application. [27041/02]
The following is the position regarding the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) scheme. In order to qualify for relief under the scheme, the applicant must meet the medical criteria specified in the regulations and be in possession of a primary medical certificate to that effect issued by the appropriate senior area medical officer, who is an official of the relevant health board. Where the issue of the required certificate is refused this can be appealed to the disabled drivers medical board of appeal, an independent body whose decision is final.
The medical criteria for the purposes of the tax concession under this scheme are as follows: persons who are wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs; persons who are wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that they are severely restricted as to movement of the lower limbs; persons who are without both hands or without both arms; persons who are without one or both legs; persons who are wholly or almost wholly without the use of both hands or arms and wholly or almost wholly without the use of one leg; persons having the medical condition of dwarfism and who have serious difficulties of movement of the lower limbs.
I understand that the person concerned has been refused a primary medical certificate by the relevant heath board and that they have appealed the decision to the disabled drivers medical board of appeal. I have no function in the determination of whether a person meets the strict medical criteria in order to qualify for the various concessions under the scheme.
