Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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309. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the body which will assess the capacity of persons in receipt of payment under the illness benefit scheme and the disability allowance scheme to be selected for the proposed fit for work scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15705/16]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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310. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to recruit medical professionals to conduct assessments under the fit for work scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15706/16]

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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311. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his plans to change the assessment process under the illness benefit scheme and the disability allowance scheme and to introduce one-on-one assessments with a medical professional; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15707/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 309 to 311, inclusive, together.

The recently agreed programme for a partnership government provides for a range of actions that are designed to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. One of these actions is a proposal for the Departments of Health and Social Protection to work together to pursue a “Fit for Work Programme” to support more people with an illness or disability to get back to work through early intervention.

The “Fit for Work” proposal is based on the findings of a pan European study, which examined the impact of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) on an individual’s ability to work. The Irish module of this study was progressed by a coalition of key stakeholders and was led by Arthritis Ireland. The Irish College of General Practitioners, ICTU, IBEC and the Health and Safety Authority also contributed to the study.

Early interventions and developing return to work practices in the case of people with musculoskeletal incapacities is consistent with my Department’s approach to illness/disability income support, which aims to reduce the number of people progressing to chronic disability and long-term social welfare dependency. To this end, my Department has in 2015, issued a set of certification guidelines for GPs, which sets out defined periods of recovery for common medical conditions, including MSDs.

The certification guidelines build on the “Renaissance project”, which is an initiative of my Department since 2003. This has shown that early intervention reduced the incidence of progression from the acute simple low back pain to chronic disability in 64% of claimants.

While specific proposals for a “Fit for Work Programme” require further development and examination, I would once again like to assure the Deputy that any such proposals will be in line with the body of evidence which shows that generally employment is good for one’s mental and physical health and wellbeing and that, conversely, unemployment is damaging.

Current assessment procedures provide that any question in respect of eligibility to illness/disability related schemes is decided by a deciding officer of my Department who may in arriving at a decision, seek and have regard to the opinion of a Medical Assessor. There are no current plans to alter these arrangements.

I hope that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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312. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of claims submitted, accepted, rejected and accepted on appeal under the illness benefit scheme and the disability allowance scheme in each of years 2013 to 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15708/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The information regarding overall numbers of claims submitted, accepted and rejected under the Illness Benefit Scheme and the Disability Allowance Scheme in each of years 2013 to 2016 to date is presented in the following table.

The information claims appealed for these schemes is available in Table 3: Outcome of Appeals by categoryof the Social Welfare Appeals Office Annual Reports for the years 2013 to 2015.

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Illness Benefit

Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
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313. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of assessments the chief medical officer conducted in 2015 under the disability allowance scheme and the illness benefit scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15709/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The total numbers of Disability Allowance and Illness Benefit assessments conducted in 2015 by Medical Assessors under the authority of the Chief Medical Officer, are set out in the following table.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.