Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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6. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to any differential rate of refusals for disability benefit between applications when the applicant concerned has a mental health related disability and those who have a physical disability; if she can provide figures for the past three years outlining such refusal rates broken down by the former and the latter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25862/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Claims for illness benefit, formerly disability benefit, are submitted following the customer's consultation with his or her general practitioner, GP, or doctor. Departmental medical assessors are not involved in reviewing illness benefit claims at claim stage, as a claim has already been certified by the customer's doctor. Customers may subsequently ask to attend for medical assessment by a departmental medical assessor for a second opinion as to whether the customer is incapable of work. The opinion of the medical assessor following this assessment is submitted to a deciding officer for consideration regarding the customer's continued entitlement to illness benefit. Any person who is dissatisfied with a decision made by the Department may have that decision referred to a social welfare appeals officer for determination. All assessments carried out by the Department's medical assessors are made in accordance with evidence-based medical guidelines and protocols and conform to the ethical conduct and behaviour guidelines of the Medical Council.

It is difficult to distinguish on a statistical basis between physical and mental health incapacities in respect of illness benefit. Illness benefit claims as recorded on the Department's IT system hold a single "certified cause of incapacity", as reported by the person's doctor. This is the primary condition that is initially diagnosed by the primary health care provider. However, a significant number of patients may have associated conditions and it may be the latter that render the person incapable of work on an ongoing basis.

It is not the case that the Department is using medical reviews to reduce the number of people in receipt of illness benefit. I have set out a statistical table below that shows the number of medical examinations carried out in the past three years and the percentage of recipients found capable of work. The percentage found capable at examination has fallen in the past two years.

% of Illness Benefit Recipients Examined & Found Capable 2010-2012

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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I take the Minister's reply on board. This question was submitted following discussions with a number of Deputies. People with mental health difficulties seem to be disproportionately affected, given the increase in the number of clients presenting at our constituency offices. The question should probably have asked about the disability allowance as well. Will the Minister ask her Department to examine this issue in order to determine whether there is a trend and, if so, rectify it?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I appreciate the Deputy's concern, but we do not assess a person's illness. That is the job of his or her doctor. When someone applies for illness benefit, he or she has received a doctor's certificate. It may be that a person has a number of conditions including physical and mental health elements, but it is whatever the doctor certifies as being the primary illness from which the person suffers that appears on the certificate.

I do not have available statistics on physical versus mental health diagnoses. I will ascertain whether that type of information is available in the Department, but it would not tend to be, as the doctor is the one who describes the condition. A significant number of people with mental health issues are in receipt of social welfare income support.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I listened to the Minister's answers. I have also encountered this issue. The perception - it may only be a perception - seems to be that someone with a mental illness is not taken as seriously as someone with a physical and, therefore, visible illness and, as such, a different approach is taken. Given where we are as a society and the considerable increase in rates of depression and mental illness, I hope that the word will go out from the Minister and the Dáil that there can be no differentiation at any stage. This could help to address the perception.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I will be helpful for the Deputy. Currently, 22 medical assessors, including the chief and deputy chief medical advisers, conduct medical assessments across a wide range of the Department's schemes, including illness benefit. Of these assessors, six have postgraduate qualifications in the mental health field, for example, the MRCPsych and the diploma in clinical psychiatry. They also have extensive clinical training and experience in psychiatry as well as membership of recognised professional bodies, such as the Royal College of Psychiatrists in London and the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland. The medical assessors have an ongoing commitment to continuing medical education so as to ensure that standards are maintained and enhanced. They work in a collegiate way.

As result of a recent recruitment campaign for medical assessors, seven were recruited, of whom two have mental health qualifications, for example, the MRCPsych. The further recruitment of medical assessors is under way.