Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Question:402. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance the status of the Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17562/23]
View answerTuesday, 18 April 2023
Questions (402)
Written answers
The Disabled Drivers & Disabled Passengers Scheme provides relief from VRT and VAT on an adapted car, as well as an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant.
The Scheme is open to severely and permanently disabled persons who meet specified medical criteria, as a driver or as a passenger and also to certain organisations. In order to qualify for relief, the applicant must hold a Primary Medical Certificate (PMC) issued by the relevant Senior Area Medical Officer (SAMO) or a Board Medical Certificate issued by the Disabled Driver Medical Board of Appeal. Certain other qualifying criteria apply in relation to the vehicle, in particular that it must be specially constructed or adapted for use by the applicant.
In the event that a PMC is not granted by the relevant Principal Medical Officer an appeal may be made to the independent Disabled Drivers Medical Board of Appeal (DDMBA).
I have no role in relation to the granting or refusal of PMCs and the HSE and the Medical Board of Appeal must be independent in their clinical determinations.
Following the resignation of all previous DDMBA members in November 2021, I had hoped that I would be in a position to establish a new DDMBA and recommence the appeals process by this point.
With respect to the recruitment of new members, as background five members are legislatively required for a functional Board with a quorum of three needed for any appeal hearing. The Department of Health has led on all actions and tasks with respect to Expression of Interest Campaigns to recruit candidates. Department of Finance officials have provided support to the Department of Health in this matter. Active recruitment efforts began shortly after the resignation of all members in November 2021, with the first Expression of Interest Campaign launched in January 2022. By November 2022 after three recruitment campaigns, five individuals had been nominated by the Minister of Health, pending successful completion of Garda vetting of two final candidates. These candidates successfully completed Garda vetting in January 2023.
Engagement began in December 2021 with the National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH), to ascertain the conditions for their continued hosting of the new DDMBA. In February 2023, the NRH (which has hosted the DDMBA since 2000) indicated their intention to withdraw their services with immediate effect. Finance and Health officials are actively seeking to implement new arrangements, including engaging with the NRH. As there are a range of requirements and complex issues involved this may take some time.
Requests for appeal hearings can still be sent to the DDMBA secretary based in the NRH.
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 PMC are entitled to request another PMC assessment six months after an unsuccessful PMC assessment.