Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

65. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether 21.8 medical assessors, including the chief and deputy chief medical advisers, is an adequate number to assess applications for social welfare payments in view of the fact that more than 56,000 social welfare applications required a medical assessment in 2013; her plans to tackle the backlog and ensure any such assessments are carried out in a timely fashion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31166/14]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

If I may, I will congratulate the Tánaiste on her appointment and election as leader of the Labour Party. I also congratulate the new Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys, on his appointment to the Department.

The question arises from the extraordinary delays being experienced in having social welfare applications assessed by medical assessors in the Department. In 2013, 21.8 medical assessors had responsibility for dealing with 56,000 applications that required a medical assessment. The purpose of the question is to elicit from the Tánaiste the plans she has to clear the backlog of medical assessments.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Pringle for his words of congratulation to me and the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Humphreys.

There are no backlogs in the provision of medical opinions on welfare entitlements. At the end of December, the number of medical opinions in process had fallen by 19%, from 3,617 to 2,923. The number of assessments in hand equates to less than four weeks' work. Some 48,000 medical opinions were provided in 2013.

Deputy Pringle will recall the problems caused by the large backlog I inherited when I became Minister. The Department made significant changes in work processes, especially in the area of information technology. I remember that Deputies were extremely patient when we discussed the matter in the House.

We have actually cleared those backlogs, although I do not know whether the Deputy has a specific case in mind. Service delivery is a key priority for the Department and we have invested heavily in IT and business processes to ensure claims and appeals are processed as expeditiously as possible. We have made good progress over the past two years in clearing backlogs or schemes involving medical eligibility criteria. Medical assessors have a key role in advising on eligibility.

The Department has a core authorised number of 27 medical assessors, including the chief and deputy chief medical advisers. To ensure there are sufficient medical assessor posts available, the Department recently reached agreement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the allocation of four additional medical assessor posts to increase the number to 31.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for her reply. I have experience of trying to get applications processed that involve a medical assessment. When one tries to find out how long it will take to get such an assessment, the response one gets from the Department is "How long is a piece of string?" There is basically no time limit on medical assessments being carried out. Very often I have had to table a parliamentary question to get the process speeded up. It is noticeable that when one tables a question, one gets an answer within a couple of days whereas it could have been going on for months in advance of that. That is not an adequate way to carry out the assessment process.

Based on the Department's own figures, each medical assessor is dealing with in excess of 2,000 applications annually. That is not counting reviews and other work such assessors have to carry out. Is it the case that only the chief or deputy chief medical assessor can sign off to ensure payment once an assessment has been made?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has raised an interesting point. He may be frustrated with the scheme but one of its great flexible points is that if one makes an application for something that requires a medical assessor's opinion, we allow the application to be continually subject to review through the input of additional information. The alternative would be to use a flat system of rejection, not allow a review and instead go to appeal. That would have a much less satisfactory outcome for clients who are using the system. We allow appeals, as the Deputy knows. From time to time one meets people who say they applied for something which was refused. With the Deputy's skills, expertise and knowledge, however, he can examine the application and judge whether the medical evidence submitted is strong enough to warrant whatever payment or other request is made. Allowing the review is an important part of the scheme because it permits people to put in more pertinent, up-to-date and stronger medical evidence which in turn will assist them with their applications.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that the review system allows extra medical evidence to be submitted. However, the fact that each medical assessor must process more than 2,800 new applications every year, not to mention further reviews, is surely a heavy workload. That workload issue is identified by the fact that the Minister has received approval for four additional assessors. Is it the case that one of the two senior medical assessors must sign off on the medical evidence review after it has taken place in order to get a payment out to a person?

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As I said, in the business process structure we would expect a medical assessment to be done and the application to be dealt with in four weeks. That is a reasonable timeframe in the context of the work that has to be done.

More importantly, we also provide significant resources amounting to approximately €47 million to the Citizens Information Board and the Money Advice & Budgeting Service specifically to provide people with a confidential and private information service on how they can progress their applications and submit the appropriate information, accompanied by the relevant medical certification, in support of their cases. We come across quite a few cases where people supply general certification which does not really support their case, as opposed to direct certification. Currently, there is no backlog in terms of the processing times.