Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the qualifications required for the position of medical assessor to assess applications for domiciliary allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47253/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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All of the Department's Medical Assessors must have at least six years satisfactory experience in the practice of medicine since registration and must be registered on the general register of medical practitioners while holding an appointment. They are all fully qualified and experienced practitioners who provide a second opinion to that of the person's own doctor for the guidance of the Department's Deciding Officers. They are also bound by the ethical conduct and behaviour guidelines of the Medical Council. In addition, Medical Assessors assessing applications for Domiciliary Care Allowance also hold various Post-Graduate higher qualifications in Paediatrics Medicine, Surgery, Occupational Medicine, Public Health Medicine and all have received special training in Human Disability Evaluation.