Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My question relates to self-employed people who become seriously ill and apply for social welfare. I had a case recently where someone was diagnosed with cancer and given six months to live. It took three months to process this person's application for disability. The person has died since. The six-month prediction was correct. I refer to the process this person had to go through to try to get any support, at a time when he or she had no income. Where it has been clearly identified to the Department - especially for someone who is self-employed - that there is serious evidence showing the person is seriously ill, I ask that there would be a system in place to process applications faster.