Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, that would be difficult to produce.

It has been suggested the successful review regarding improvements to the application process for domiciliary care allowance be extended to applications for carer's allowance and, I assume, disability allowance. I would welcome the Department's views in this regard.

Another question that consistently comes up at ground level is about desk reviews. Dr. Singh has explained clearly that the purpose of the medical assessment is to judge. One does not question the medical diagnosis, but one's function is to assess the level of impairment resulting from the condition. Dr. Singh has outlined a number of things one considers. It is difficult to understand how one can properly consider these things simply by looking at a file in Dublin without talking to the individual in question. If one were to go through all of the various criteria as set out in the presentation, no one could dispute that the person making the decision would be much better informed as regards the type of decision to be made, if he or she could see the person himself or herself and listen to what he or she had to say. I realise the problem with manpower and do not know what ideas the Department may have. The Disability Federation of Ireland made some suggestion as to how this issue could be tackled.

As I do not wish to take up too much time, will Dr. Singh explain what exactly is the division of responsibility between the medical assessor in the Department and the deciding officer? It appears as though the medical assessor looks at the medical evidence and decides, as Dr. Singh noted, the extent to which it impairs a person and by so doing the assessor judges whether he or she comes within the qualifying criteria. What then is the function of the deciding officer? Is it simply a rubber stamp or does the deciding officer who, after all, is a non-medical person have the right to overrule the medical assessment?