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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 Nov 2002

Vol. 558 No. 1

Written Answers. - Disabled Drivers.

Mary Wallace

Ceist:

194 Ms M. Wallace asked the Minister for Finance if the report in relation to the disabled drivers tax concessions 1994, being concluded will cover cases such as the one referred to (details supplied); if such situations will be covered by the new regulations; and if he will give a timeframe on when the regulations are due to go to the Government for clearance in order that individuals awaiting decisions can have clarity on the matter. [23381/02]

It is a fundamental requirement for relief under the disabled drivers' and disabled passengers' tax concessions scheme that an applicant must meet the specified medical criteria 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 such a certificate is refused, the person concerned may appeal that decision to the disabled drivers' medical board of appeal, an independent board whose decision is final. Neither my Department nor the Revenue Commissioners has any role in the medical assessment of persons for the purposes of the relief.

The medical criteria for the purposes of the tax concession under this scheme are set out in the Disabled Drivers' and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concession) Scheme Regulations 1994, S.I. No. 353 of 1994. Six different types of disablement are listed under the regulations and a qualifying person must satisfy one or more of them. The six different types of disablement 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 of their legs and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that they are severely restricted as to movement of their lower limbs; persons without both hands or without both arms; persons without one or both legs; persons wholly or almost wholly without the use of both hands or arms and wholly or almost wholly without the use of one leg; and persons having the medical condition of dwarfisms and who have serious difficulties of movement of the lower limbs.

I have been informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the person concerned was refused a primary medical certificate by the board of appeal on 18 November 2002 as he did not satisfy the medical conditions outlined above. I have received the report of the interdepartmental review group on this scheme. Any recommendations contained in this report, whether to change the medical criteria or otherwise, will receive full consideration.

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