asked the Minister for Finance if he will indicate the nature and source of the evidence upon which claims for personal injuries were rejected in cases where the claimants were not examined nor notified of the consideration of their claims until after their rejection.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - CLAIMS FOR PERSONAL INJURIES.
Cases of the kind referred to by the Deputy were considered by the Compensation (Personal Injuries) Committee in accordance with the terms of reference and on the evidence, medical and otherwise, submitted by the applicants on the forms of application which were drawn up specially by the Committee in order to give applicants every opportunity of fully presenting their cases on paper. Attention was directed in the form of application to the fact that only in those cases where it was considered necessary would the applicants be called upon to attend before the Committee in person to supplement the details already given or to be examined with regard to the evidence put in on the forms.
Mr. HOGAN
Will the Minister say what were the cases in which it was considered necessary to give notice to attend in person? On what basis was that decision come to with regard to the applications?
Generally, in serious cases, but in cases that on the form appear to be trivial they did not call on the applicants to attend. The form was an elaborate one with seventeen questions to be answered, which enabled the Committee to get an idea as to whether the case was or was not a serious one.
Mr. HOGAN
Would the Minister consider whether a case where a person was incapacitated from carrying on ordinary work for life was not sufficiently serious to demand that it should not be brought before that Committee of Inquiry?
No, sir.
Is the Minister aware that there is a widespread sense of grievance amongst people whose claims have been adjudicated upon without being heard, and would he consider the desirability of giving the applicant, wherever he wishes to attend, a right to appear before the Commission even if at his own expense?
I do not think I could undertake that, but I would undertake if the applicant, in addition to asking to appear, will state some reasons why he should be heard.