Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
148. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Finance his plans to review and change the criteria under which a person (details supplied) can apply for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers (tax concessions) scheme. [8489/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT on the purchase of an adapted vehicle, payment of a fuel grant, and an exemption from motor tax for persons with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities, as well as qualifying charitable organisations.
To qualify for the scheme an applicant must be in possession of a primary medical certificate. To qualify for a primary medical certificate, an applicant must be permanently and severely disabled within the terms of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994 and satisfy one of the following conditions:
- be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both legs;
- be wholly without the use of one leg and almost wholly without the use of the other leg such that the applicant is severely restricted as to movement of the lower limbs;
- be without both hands or without both arms;
- be without one or both legs;
- be wholly or almost wholly without the use of both hands or arms and wholly or almost wholly without the use of one leg;
- have the medical condition of dwarfism and have serious difficulties of movement of the lower limbs.
I understand and fully sympathise with any person who suffers from a serious physical disability and can’t access the scheme under the current criteria. However, given the scope and scale of the scheme, any possible changes to it can only be made after careful consideration, taking into account the existing and prospective cost of the scheme as well as the availability of other schemes which seek to help with the mobility of disabled persons, and the interaction between each of these schemes.
In this regard, the Government's legislative programme for 2018 includes the Health (Transport Support) Bill to provide for a scheme to make individual payments as a contribution towards transport costs to people with severe disabilities on a low income who cannot access public transport. The legislation is being brought forward by my colleague the Minister for Health.
In summary, I have no current plans to change the medical criteria for accessing the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme.
