Departmental Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 June 2023

Thursday, 22 June 2023

Ceisteanna (87)

Pauline Tully

Ceist:

87. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Finance for an update on the recommencement of the work of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal; if alternative facilities and secretarial services have been established since the National Rehabilitation Hospital indicated that it wishes to cease its involvement with the scheme; the reasons given by the NRH to cease its involvement with the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30174/23]

Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)

Deputy Pauline Tully

I ask the Minister for an update on the recommencement of the work of the DDMBA, if alternative facilities and secretarial services have been established since the NRH indicated it wishes to cease its involvement with the scheme, the reasons given by the NRH to cease its involvement with the scheme and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Deputy Michael McGrath

I thank the Deputy for raising this question. Following the resignation of all previous DDMBA members in November 2021, I had hoped that a new DDMBA would have been established by now and that the appeals process would have recommenced.

The Deputy should note that five members are legislatively required for a functional board, however the recruitment of these members has proved to be challenging. In this regard, four expressions of interest campaigns have been organised by the Department of Health, three of them last year and one in April of this year to replace a previously-nominated person. The necessary five members have been nominated by the Minister for Health, with Garda vetting currently being undertaken for the most recently nominated candidate. The process was completed for the other four candidates at the start of the year.

An added complication to the recommencement of the appeals process is that in February of this year, the NRH, the body that has hosted the appeals board since 2000, indicated its intention to withdraw its services with immediate effect. Officials from the Departments of Finance and Health have been actively seeking to implement new arrangements since, including engaging with the NRH. Some progress has been made on this matter insofar as the NRH has indicated a willingness to once again host the appeals board and the Department is working actively with the NRH to ensure that issues in relation to processing funding are quickly addressed in order that the consideration of appeals can be quickly resumed. It is important to note that requests for appeal hearings can still be sent to the appeals board secretary based in the NRH. I acknowledge the willingness of the NRH to engage with my officials and those from the Department of Health with a view to finding a solution and getting the appeals process back up and running.

Assessments for the primary medical certificate, by the HSE, are continuing to take place. In this regard, an important point to make is that even though there has been no appeal mechanism since the previous board resigned, applicants who have been deemed not to have met one of the six eligibility criteria required for a certificate are entitled to request another assessment six months after an unsuccessful primary medical certificate assessment.

Deputy Pauline Tully

I welcome the fact that the NRH is willing to discuss coming back on board with the scheme and that the board is almost in place. There have been ongoing problems with the scheme, however. It is 18 months since the board resigned. They resigned because the criteria for admittance to the scheme are far too stringent. A review of the scheme had been promised by the Minister's predecessor, which never took place. That is what led the board members to resign. I welcome the Minister's announcement this week of additional relief under the scheme. The reliefs offered under the scheme are not the issue. They are all very welcome. It is admittance to the scheme that is the problem. The transport working group's final report, which was published in February of this year, acknowledged that the scheme is outdated and should be replaced by a needs-based assessment. We have now moved on several months and we need to see progress on this issue. It has not happened. Can the Minister give a date for when a new scheme will be put in place to replace what the Minister has admitted is and the transport group has identified as outdated?

Deputy Michael McGrath

As the Deputy said, the working group reported back in February and reached the conclusion that the existing scheme is outdated. It needs to be replaced with a needs-based, grant-based scheme. Last week in the House, in responding to the report from the Ombudsman, the Taoiseach gave a commitment to convene a meeting of all the relevant Departments to work now on an solution urgently. I expect that meeting will happen very shortly. My own officials stand ready to assist in any way we can. At the moment we have a tax-based scheme. The primary medical certificate terminology and criteria are out of date. That is generally accepted. The change I made this week will provide extra support to a very small number of people who need substantial adaptations carried out, generally abroad. It is not the full answer; I would readily acknowledge that. I am focused on getting the appeals board back up and running and on ensuring that we continue to administer the tax scheme while at the same time supporting the work of the Taoiseach and other Departments to put in place a new, appropriate, fit-for-purpose grant scheme. We will do all we can to help in that process.

Deputy Pauline Tully

The Minister referred to the Ombudsman's report. The one published last week is only the latest of many which have been critical of the various transport schemes for disabled people. The mobility allowance and motorised transport grant were found to be inequitable by an Ombudsman's report back in 2013, ten years ago. Instead of addressing the inequities at the time, the Government suspended the schemes with a promise to replace them with something much more equitable. It has not happened. When the Minister says this is going to be treated with urgency, it is very hard to see that happening when it has taken ten years to replace those schemes. People are applying for the disabled drivers and passengers scheme because there is no other option there. Not all of those people will qualify because the criteria are so stringent. People are applying for those schemes who do not need or want to drive or obtain a car. We are not addressing the needs of people who live in areas where they could have the mobility allowance or motorised transport grant to assist them. In fact, it is more inequitable now because people who were in receipt of the mobility allowance prior to 2013 are still receiving it and those who should qualify have not been able to apply or receive it. It is more inequitable than it was to start with.

Deputy Michael McGrath

What is needed here is a whole-of-government approach. Dealing with these issues does not sit in any one silo or Department exclusively. I welcome the initiative the Taoiseach is undertaking to pull together the key Departments to devise a coherent and comprehensive response to the working group report and address the issues the Ombudsman has justifiably raised. This has taken too long. The Government is now focused on bringing forward solutions, which will involve a new scheme. In the meantime, I will continue to ensure the existing scheme is administered. We have about 30,000 people benefiting from that scheme at the moment. We need to get the appeals board up and running. In the interests of natural justice, people deserve to have an appeal mechanism in place even though the success rate is very low, as the Deputy knows, because the criteria are so stringent. It is outdated, including the terminology. That is my focus, ensuring we continue to operate the scheme in parallel with the development of a new one, which I expect will now happen quickly.