Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have listened and I welcome the progress that has been made in ensuring we will achieve the maximum number of medical assessors.

The population is aging. Is the Minister of State confident that putting the full complement of 25 in place and addressing the backlog would be sufficient to deal with future needs, or will there be a continuous need for agency staff? This is my concern. I have no problem with using contract staff for a while to deal with a backlog. I am realistic enough about this and I supported it for dealing with the social welfare appeals backlog because it was time-bound. Will the Minister of State assure us that once the backlog is dealt with the need for contract staff will end?

Will the medical assessors' contract be on the basis of being paid by results or by case, or of being in situ? There is an issue of accountability. A promise was made in the Haddington Road agreement that work would not be outsourced and the Department would be protected. I want to ensure we are not doing something which flies in the face of this and undermines it or lays the basis for future outsourcing.

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