Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 311: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when an appeal will be completed and the result known in regard to the disability allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [8500/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The claim for disability allowance, by the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 11 September 2008 following an examination by a Medical Assessor who expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for the allowance.

She appealed this decision on 24 September 2008 and she was examined by a second Medical Assessor on 22 December 2008 who also expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for disability allowance.

I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in the light of this second medical opinion, that office, on 5 January 2009, decided to afford her an opportunity of setting out the complete and up to date grounds of her appeal and to furnish any further supportive medical evidence she wished to submit. The Appeals Office is awaiting her response. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.