David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown on the number of applications for each of the disability-related payments in her Department in 2010; if all of these applications are passed to medical assessors before a decision is reached; the number of applications which necessitated the examination of the applicant by a medical professional; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21356/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The number of applications received for each of the main disability schemes in 2010 is set out in the table below. All applications for disability allowance, invalidity pension and domiciliary care allowance are desk assessed by the department's medical assessors who examine all the relevant medical reports and evidence submitted by the applicant. The practise of referring disability allowance and invalidity pension applications for in person assessments was phased out early in 2010. Consequently, the number of cases which underwent an in person assessment was low, as shown in table.

Illness benefit is a payment for insured people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance conditions. The benefit is paid weekly, in arrears, on receipt of required medical certification signed by an applicant's doctor. While receiving illness benefit a person's claim may be reviewed and he/she may be required to attend a medical assessment by one of the department's medical assessors. Injury benefit is paid and reviewed on the same basis.

All disablement benefit applications are referred to a medical assessor who carries out an in person assessment of the applicant's percentage loss of faculty.

Medical assessors are 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. Their assessments conform to the ethical conduct and behaviour guidelines of the Medical Council. Medical assessors are required to be medical practitioners who are on the general register of medical practitioners while holding an appointment. They must have at least six years satisfactory experience in the practice of medicine since registration. Many of the medical assessors have specialist post-graduate qualifications and all have received special training in human disability evaluation. They also have special training in eligibility assessment and all are trained in disability evaluation. The medical assessors have an ongoing commitment to continuing medical education to ensure that standards are maintained and enhanced.

When conducting an assessment, the medical assessor does not dispute the existence of the certified cause of incapacity but rather s/he assesses the degree to which the loss of function in work-related activities, resulting from disease or injury, affects the person's ability to perform either their own job or alternative types of work.