John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 295: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason disability allowance was not approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [32423/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Payment of disability allowance, to the person concerned, was refused following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for the allowance. An appeal was opened and in the context of that appeal, his case was reviewed by a second Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that he was not medically suitable for disability allowance.

I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in the light of this second medical opinion, that office decided to afford him an opportunity of setting out the complete and up to date grounds of his appeal. In addition to his grounds of appeal the person concerned has submitted additional medical evidence which has been forwarded to the Chief Medical Assessor for his opinion. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.