Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022
1128. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is a forum for members of the public to make submissions to the primary medical certificate review; if a public consultation will be arranged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19978/22]
View answerThe issue of accessible public transport and appropriate personal mobility supports for people with disabilities is an important one. Recognising the critical role of mobility as a precursor for real independence, I chair a Working Group under Action 104 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy. This Action states that:
"We will lead a review of transport supports encompassing all Government funded transport and mobility schemes for people with disabilities, to enhance the options for transport to work or employment supports for people with disabilities and will develop proposals for development of a
coordinated plan for such provision. This plan will have regard to making the most efficient use of available transport resources.".
The nature of that work is to analyse the range of schemes and programmes across the State and examine whether or not they function in a coherent manner that properly supports people with disabilities, and to formulate proposals for coordinated improvement. Individual departments and agencies continue to hold primary responsibility for their own statutory schemes and funded programmes in this context.
The Working Group is comprised of representatives of relevant departments, agencies and stakeholders, including members of the Disability Stakeholders Group, experts by experience, and Disabled Persons Organisations. At its January meeting the Group agreed to conduct a "stock taking" exercise to assess the current state of transport supports.
The legislation underpinning the operation of the Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme is the responsibility of the Minister of Finance, who established that Scheme by Statutory Instrument under the provisions of the Finance Acts. These regulations include the criteria for primary medical certificates, and any alteration to same would ultimately be a matter for the Minister for Finance to pursue via Statutory Instrument.
