Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

The disablement benefit change is not the biggest change in this case, but it is the type of change that worries me because we might end up cutting people out of the welfare system entirely. Is it correct that the effect of this is that up to now, people who lost an index finger were rated at 14% disability, so that by raising this threshold at 15%, the Minister is just excluding the fingerless? All the people who lose a finger due to occupational injuries are at 14%, the Minister is raising the threshold to 15% so is cutting that group out.