Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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664. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider the diseases of Crohn’s and colitis as qualifying conditions for disability and invalidity payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44406/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. These include contributory payments based on PRSI contributions, such as Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension, and non-contributory payments based on a means test, such as Disability Allowance and Blind Pension.

Invalidity Pension is a social insurance scheme paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Eligibility is based on Pay Related Social Insurance contributions and medical condition. To qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months; or must be permanently incapable of work.

Disability Allowance is a means tested social assistance scheme, which is also subject to a medical assessment and habitual residency requirement. Eligibility for the scheme includes the requirement that the disability must be expected to last for at least one year, and substantially restrict a person’s ability to work.

As of September 2024, there were over 56,200 recipients of Invalidity Pension and over 166,400 recipients of Disability Allowance respectively.

Eligibility for the Department’s income support schemes is not dependent on the type or category of illness or disability. Rather, entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.

Every application for the Department's schemes is individually assessed, in line with the provisions specified in the relevant social welfare legislation. Assessment is based on the medical information provided by healthcare providers and the claimant and taking into account the opinion of the Department’s Medical Assessor.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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665. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44410/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 6 March 2024. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 4 October 2024 and the case has now been referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.