Mr. John Hogan:

Maybe I could take the Deputy through what has happened around this. I think when I was here in May, we also had an engagement on this. At that time I think I explained to the Deputy that the scheme was introduced in the 1960s with a very 1960s view of disability. I expressed the view then that we now have a better understanding of the nature of disability. There were applicants in the scheme, and it is a valuable scheme for those who can participate in it, but the Deputy is correct that there is a rigidity associated with the criteria for accession to the scheme. We often found that the nature of the assistance that the individual necessarily needs is not actually what is available in this scheme. It probably goes beyond what some people may actually need. That was the nature and the focus for us in our policy review and policy approach on this. The Deputy is right; the appeal board did resign. We are in the process of finalising the creation of the new appeal board. That is important in two respects -----