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

The Minister had her chance. I give most credit to the families who came out on the streets last year and embarrassed the Government into acknowledging the disgraceful mistreatment of families with special needs. They forced the Minister to address the problem, but it is now being moved to another area. She has completely failed to address the fact that since the Government took office the number of refusals of invalidity pension has dramatically increased by 64%, from 39% in 2011 to 69% in 2012. Two thirds of applicants may be receiving an answer within a few weeks, but they are being refused.

I will give an example of the people who are being refused. In most cases, they had an entitlement to illness benefit. In other words, the Department accepted that they were not fit for work and paid them illness benefit. When people applied for invalidity pension after two years, they were denied it in two thirds of cases. I know of one individual who had worked for 40 years as a bin man before developing rheumatoid arthritis and problems with his heart, knee and back. He was denied, despite being completely unable to work. I can provide a litany of similar examples of individuals who are made to suffer for months as they beg and appeal for their entitlements.

Is there not a systematic policy of first stop refusal if the Department can find any excuse whatsoever, even when medical assistance has been provided by GPs and consultants? When people appeal, they often have to pay €200 for a consultant's letter stating the Department should not have refused them in the first place. That is another cost for those who are ill and vulnerable. It is disgraceful. Stop treating people in this bureaucratic way and give them their entitlements.

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