Disability Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-20
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Robert Troy (FF), Longford-Westmeath

I thank the Deputy for raising this extremely important topic. She is right in part of what she said. The Department of Finance, the Tánaiste and I acknowledge that the disabled driver's and disabled passenger's scheme, as the Deputy outlined, is not fit for purpose. That has been confirmed on multiple occasions. While acknowledging that it is not fit for purpose, it is important to recognise that the scheme provides relief from VRT and VAT on the use of adapted cars. It also provides an exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant scheme for anyone who holds a primary medical certificate. In 2024, €150 million was spent on the scheme. That is very welcome and beneficial to those who qualify. However, the Deputy is right, and she makes a very valid point in this regard, that the scheme is very rigid and excludes many people. She gave an example of someone in her constituency and I am aware of people in my constituency who I have tried to assist in relation to this. I did not come in with a prepared script from the Department because, quite frankly, some of it is embarrassing. The Deputy has given a timeline for a commitment given to reform a scheme or multiple schemes that all of us, including me and my predecessors, acknowledge are not fit for purpose. The timeline for implementation is embarrassing. I say that with regret.
In 2022, a report was published based on the national disability inclusion strategy, having established a transport working group as part of the review of all Government-funded transport and mobility schemes. I am not going to outline the findings of the report. Suffice to say that they are not at all positive. If we roll on four years, despite the fact that my Department has made a significant contribution to the national disability inclusion strategy to develop a proposal that would be fit for purpose and would mirror international best practice, we do not seem to be any further along. It is fair to say, however, that the new Government, on assuming office, prioritised disability services. Disability and supporting people with a disability into work, education and independent living are a priority.
The delay in implementing this reform further reinforces the decision the Taoiseach made to establish a disability unit within the Department of Taoiseach to ensure that schemes such as this one are pushed ahead at speed. As Government Ministers, we have to take responsibility for ensuring the decisions we take are implemented in a timely fashion by the officials working for us in our respective Departments. I cannot give a definitive timeline tonight, but what I can say is that the Deputy's amplification of this problem further reinforces an issue that needs to be prioritised. I will talk directly to the Taoiseach to ensure the unit within his Department prioritises a speedy decision in relation to the new scheme. I will talk to my colleague, the Tánaiste, as I am sure the Deputy will, to ensure this process moves ahead at pace. We cannot afford to wait any longer for the new scheme to be implemented. The consultation has already happened. There should not be any need for further consultation.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-20/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:31+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-20