Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 232: To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 229 of 10 November 2010, when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be assessed by a medical assessor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47134/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Payment of disability allowance, to the person concerned, was refused by a Deciding Officer following an assessment by a Medical Assessor of the Department who expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable for disability allowance. An appeal was opened and in the context of that appeal, her case was reviewed by a second Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that she was medically unsuitable.

I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, in the light of this second medical opinion, that office decided to afford her an opportunity of setting out the complete and up to date grounds of her appeal. On receipt of her response the relevant departmental papers will be requested from the Department and the appeal will then be referred to an Appeals Officer for consideration.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.