Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 325: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of general practitioners employed to review disability claims; if there is a high turnover of general practitioners leaving the service; and the way in which they are recruited. [12154/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has a cadre of 21 medical assessors, including the chief and deputy chief medical advisers. The role of the medical assessor is to provide independent advice to the Department for assessment or review purposes in regard to claims for illness, disability or carers schemes' payments. This is to ensure individuals who make claims, including those claiming disability payments, comply with the medical requirements of the various schemes as laid down in social welfare legislation.

The Department's medical assessors are full time employees who are recruited through the Public Appointments Service. Each medical assessor is a fully qualified medical practitioner who has full registration in accordance with Medical Council criteria and at least six years experience in general practice. Many of the medical assessors also possess higher qualifications in relevant medical fields, some with specialist accreditation. All medical assessors receive continuing medical education in the field of human disability. There is one vacancy in the medical assessor cadre in the Department. Turnover levels are not considered high. During 2004 three medical assessors left the Department, two having reached retirement age.