Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 407: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a disability allowance payment will commence for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo following a successful appeal. [40670/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under age 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to both medical assessment and a means test.

The person concerned made application for disability allowance on 13 November 2007. She was refused disability allowance on the grounds that she was deemed by a Medical Assessor to be not medically suitable for disability allowance. She subsequently appealed this decision. At a second medical examination, a Medical Assessor found her also to be not medically suitable for disability allowance. Following an oral hearing by the Social Welfare Appeals Office, her appeal was allowed and she was deemed to be medically suitable for disability allowance.

Her file has been re-referred to the Social Welfare Inspector for an up to date means assessment. A final decision will be given on this person's application for Disability Allowance upon receipt of the Social Welfare Inspector's report. She will be notified directly of the outcome.