Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am assuming that any GP who gives a diagnosis of someone's condition does so in good faith and in accordance with their responsibilities as a medical professional. It is not about putting pressure on them. Day in, day out GPs write letters in which they state someone is not fit for work or permanently incapacitated and, in their professional opinion, needs care. I do not believe non-medical people should be second-guessing doctors on those medical judgments. An official in the Department would want a very good medical reason for denying care to people. The intelligence and professional integrity of GPs and even consultants is being insulted by non-medical people overruling their diagnoses about people's capacity to work. That is absolutely unacceptable.

The proof that this is completely unacceptable behaviour is that when these people go on to appeal, a huge number of cases are won. I do not have the exact number but it is over 50% of cases.

People with serious disabilities and medical conditions are being forced to jump through hoops or into an appeals process to get their just entitlements and desserts, many of which are being delayed for unacceptable periods because somebody who is not a medical professional, presumably under pressure of budgets and so on, is making wrong decisions. This has to end.