asked the Minister for Defence if he will state the number of cases in which the assessment of the Army Pensions Medical Board has been increased on the advice of the Panel Surgeon and the number of cases in which the assessment has been decreased on the same advice.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - ARMY PENSIONS BOARD ASSESSMENT.
Mr. BYRNE
asked the Minister for Defence whether awards to dependents under the Army Pensions Act, 1923, made by the Army Pensions Board and approved of by him, have been refused by the Department of Finance, and if he can state how many such cases have occurred.
I will answer questions Nos. 15 and 16 together. The answer is: I regret that I cannot see my way to give the information asked for.
Mr. BYRNE
Will the Minister state if, where doctors differ — and some doctors offer 40 to 50 per cent. pension— the panel surgeon has the right to come along and give nothing at all? To whom can the aggrieved person appeal for a further hearing of his case, or is the case to be thrown altogether on the scrap heap?
If any appeal is referred to the Minister for Defence, it will be inquired into.
Mr. BYRNE
Will the Minister undertake to hear cases over the head of the panel surgeon?
No, sir. I will not undertake to hear appeals; but I will see that proper inquiry is made into any case that is referred to me.
Mr. BYRNE
Then of what use is the previous answer? Am I to understand that there is no appeal from the panel surgeon?
I told the Deputy that if an appeal is made to the Minister, he will have proper inquiries made into the case, and if a good case is made the Minister can either give the person a pension or assess the disability much more than it was assessed when the case was previously heard. That will be done after the inquiry is made.
Mr. BYRNE
In cases where the Medical Board assess at a certain rate, and the panel surgeon then comes along and turns that down, would the Minister not consider the advisability of appointing a Committee and giving the aggrieved persons — the ex-National Army men — representation there, so that their cases could be properly inquired into?
I think it should be obvious to every person that the four independent panel surgeons appointed—
Mr. BYRNE
They are not independent.
If Surgeon Barniville, Surgeon Kennedy, and the two other gentlemen whose names I have not at the moment, are not independent surgeons in the City of Dublin, and for that matter, in the Saorstát——
Were the two other gentlemen candidates?
I do not think so; I am not quite certain.