Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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205. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of medical officers within her Department assessing applications for disability allowance/carer's allowance and domiciliary care allowance that have qualifications in child and adolescent psychology; the weighting that is given to learning disabilities in the assessment of applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2611/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Medical Assessors are fully qualified and experienced practitioners who provide a second opinion to that of the person’s own doctor. Their assessments conform to the ethical conduct and behaviour guidelines of the Irish 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 three years satisfactory experience in the practice of medicine since registration. Many of the Medical Assessors have specialist post-graduate qualifications and three have mental health/child and adolescent psychiatry qualifications or experience. All have received special training in human disability evaluation. They also have special training in disability assessment. The Medical Assessors have an on-going commitment to continuing medical education to ensure that standards are maintained and enhanced. The Medical Assessors also work in a collegiate way to ensure that best practice and professional expertise is shared and applied across all of the cases that are reviewed by them. This includes daily case conference meetings and a medical research unit to actively engage in the update of the body of medical knowledge and evidence based practice.

Applications for disability allowance, carer’s allowance and domiciliary care allowance are normally assessed by Medical Assessors at desk level on the basis of medical evidence submitted. Medical eligibility is determined by the severity and expected duration of the medical condition. Each case is individually assessed on its own merits and in accordance with the Department’s evidence based medical guidelines and protocols.