Marie Moloney (Labour)

Some people are under the misapprehension that disablement benefit is disability benefit. It certainly is not. A person qualifies for disablement benefit if he or she has an accident on the way to work, during work or on the way home from work, without taking a break. This is in addition to the occupational injuries benefit and is in addition to disability, and a person can work with it. Until now, there has been no change in the way it has been assessed because it has always been assessed in percentages. This is not new.

I have dealt with people over the last 17 years in respect of accidents. They might have a scar and the disablement will be assessed at 1% to 2%, just because it does not look good. I see what the Minister is trying to do. A lump sum can be paid to somebody who has a scar on his or her finger, or whatever. I have dealt with this for 17 years, and I have never seen a percentage set for the loss of a finger. I do not know where the Senator is getting that from. Perhaps he is right, but I have seen people who lost a finger getting rated at 19% or 20% disablement.