Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be called for an oral hearing pertaining to disability benefit. [40371/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned is in receipt of Disablement Benefit from injuries he received during the course of his work in 2004. Following various medical assessments, the loss of faculty suffered by him has been reduced from 50% in August 2004 to 20% for life in January 2008. He was notified of this latter decision by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 20 February 2008. He subsequently submitted further medical evidence which was referred to the Chief Medical Advisor who considered that this evidence did not warrant a review of the decision.

An appeal was opened on 9 April 2008 and I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the case has been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral appeal hearing, the time and date for which are not yet known. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on Social Welfare entitlements.