Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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117. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of numbers of persons who applied for invalidity pension in County Clare for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012; the numbers of those who were refused and granted and of those who were refused the numbers who appealed the decision and the numbers who were successful and unsuccessful in those appeals; of those applications which were successful before and after Appeal, the number of cases that were decided solely on the condition of being incapable of work for at least 12 months and likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21955/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In 2012, there were 230 claims for invalidity pension received from persons with an address in County Clare and there were 350 claims decided. Of the 350 claims decided, 131 were awarded and 219 were disallowed. Full year statistics for invalidity pension claims received from persons with an address in County Clare are not available prior to 2012. Social Welfare Appeals Office statistics are not maintained on a county by county basis and the Chief Appeals Officer is not in a position, therefore, to supply the specific information sought in relation to appellants with addresses in County Clare. However, the table below gives information in relation to the total number of appeals in the years in question.

Invalidity Pension Appeals – 2010 -2012

(*) Where a person has received a decision to disallow a payment, it is open to them to ask for a review by a deciding officer. These figures reflect those cases where a disallowed claim was revised on review by a deciding officer prior to determination by an Appeals Officer. Generally these cases arise where a person submits additional information, not already considered, in support of their claim following a decision to disallow.

In order to qualify for invalidity pension, claimants must satisfy both medical and contribution criteria. All awarded invalidity pension claims are deemed by either a deciding officer or an appeals officer to have satisfied all the eligibility criteria. In respect of the disallowed claims, statistics are not kept on the specific reason(s) for the disallowance. However, it is safe to say that the vast majority of disallowances are on medical grounds.