Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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177. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the current policy regarding the payment of the occupational injuries scheme, the injury allowance and the personal injury compensation scheme; if she will detail changes made to the administration of these schemes in the past six months; if it is now the case that workers must exhaust sick leave before receiving social welfare only; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51603/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Injury Benefit is a benefit available under the Occupational Injuries Scheme, and is a weekly payment made to an insured person if s/he is unfit for work either due to an accident arising out of and in the course of employment or due to the contraction of a prescribed disease due to the type of work s/he does. No changes have been introduced to the conditions governing entitlement to Injury Benefit or to the administration of the scheme in the past six months. Provided that the qualifying conditions for the scheme are satisfied, my Department will award Injury Benefit (or any other welfare benefit) on receipt of a claim.

From January 2014, the number of waiting days for Injury Benefit (and for Illness Benefit) will increase from three to six days.

In 2014, my Department will also be introducing a scheme for the recovery from compensators of certain social welfare benefits in cases where an insured person has been compensated for the same loss of earnings through a settlement. This measure will not, however, have any impact on entitlement to Injury Benefit or any other welfare benefit.

My Department has no responsibility in relation to the terms and conditions of employees insofar as it relates to sick pay or other arrangements.