Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for invalidity pension and disability allowance that were refused during the years 2011 and 2012; the number of those referrals that had face to face medical assessments carried out by medical officers operating on behalf of her Department; the number that were refused on the basis of a desk top assessment; of those carried out by desk top assessment, the number that were conducted by a trained and qualified medical practitioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16834/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Medical Review and Assessment system is the principal control mechanism for illness and disability schemes administered by the Department of Social Protection.

All medical assessments for invalidity pension and disability allowance are carried out by the Department’s Medical Assessors who present their medical opinions from the assessment for the guidance of the Deciding Officers in the scheme areas. Medical Assessors carry out desk assessments of medical evidence/reports supplied by doctors/patients and where required, conduct in person assessments in order to provide a second medical opinion for the guidance of Deciding and Appeals Officers. All assessments are carried out in accordance with the accepted guidelines of the Irish Medical Council. Medical Assessors are fully qualified and experienced practitioners and must have at least 6 years satisfactory experience in the practice of medicine since registration with the Medical Council. Many of the Medical Assessors have specialist post-graduate qualifications and all have received special training in Human Disability Evaluation. The Medical Assessors have an on-going commitment to continuing medical education to ensure that standards are maintained and enhanced.

In addition to satisfying the medical criteria for eligibility, applicants for both Invalidity Pension and Disability Allowance must also satisfy other non-medical criteria. In the case of Invalidity Pension claimants must have the required PRSI contributions and for Disability Allowance they must satisfy a means test and must also be habitually resident in the State.

The following table details the number who were assessed in years 2011 and 2012 at in-person and at desk by a Medical Assessor and the number deemed not medically suitable (not eligible) at desk assessment by a Medical Assessor.

*These statistics refer to initial decision only and do not reflect cases which were subsequently allowed following a deciding officer’s review of additional information/evidence supplied, or following a determination by an appeals officer of the Social Welfare Appeals Office.