Vol. 501 No. 2
48 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties some people are experiencing in obtaining the necessary primary certificate to avail of disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concessions; if statistics show any particular matter on cases that are appealed; if the reviews of the scheme have been completed; the submissions, if any, he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5379/99]
The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations, 1994, require that a disabled person meets the specified medical criteria and is in possession of a primary medical certificate issued by the appropriate senior area medical officer. Refusal of a primary medical certificate may be appealed to the disabled drivers medical board of appeal, an independent board, whose decision is final.
There is increasing demand by applicants to gain the benefits of this scheme. In many cases, applicants do not meet the basic conditions to qualify but appeal the case regardless. While figures are not available for 1996, 220 cases were referred to the board in 1997 and 260 cases were referred in 1998. Some 120 cases are currently being dealt with by the board. The Deputy may wish to note that the number of successful first time applicants under the scheme has increased from 869 in 1996 to 1,245 in 1998.
Unfortunately, without examining each individual file, it is not possible to summarise the reasons why certificates have been refused other than to say that the specified medical criteria were not met.
The review of the scheme, which is being undertaken by an interdepartmental group under the chairmanship of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, has not yet been completed. A number of submissions have been received by my Department and by the Revenue Commissioners and have been forwarded to the group for consideration.
