Criteria for Primary Medical Certificate needs to be relaxed - Mayo TD

MAYO Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh has called on the government to immediately amend the criteria for Primary Medical Certificates to ensure people with disabilities and elderly people can access the transport supports they need.

She elaborated: “People with disabilities should be able to live full and active lives within their communities but many obstacles prevent them doing so.

“To access the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers Scheme, which provides VRT/VAT relief on vehicles adapted for people with disabilities, motor tax exemption and annual fuel grant people need a Primary Medical Certificate.

“To qualify for a Primary Medical Certificate an applicant must be permanently and severely disabled. Too many people are still being denied access to vitally important Primary Medical Certificates. This particularly hurts people in rural areas.

“We are regularly contacted on behalf of elderly people with serious health/mobility issues who are unable to access or use public transport to get to hospital appointments in Castlebar, Galway or Dublin.

“People have to be able to get to their hospital appointments.”

Deputy Conway-Walsh continued: “Sinn Féin has consistently raised this matter with the government, the Taoiseach, and the Ombudsman through the Committee on Disability Matters and the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure & Reform.

“In December 2022, the Department of Finance Transport Working Group admitted that the current scheme as constituted and operated is no longer fit for purpose and that it will never operate to the standards expected of a 21st century.

“The working group proposed that the scheme should be replaced with a new approach to vehicle-related support, namely a graduated scale of grant-aided direct financial support for specified vehicle adaptations.

“Sinn Féin welcomes these proposals but we need to see rapid action, which to date is not forthcoming.

“The criteria for accessing a Primary Medical Cert needs to be relaxed immediately to ensure disabled people in need are not being denied supports. Sinn Féin are calling for €19 million to allow for the reform of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passenger’s Scheme.”