asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware of the excessive delays in the payment of disability benefits in County Donegal; and if he will arrange that in cases where a claimant is submitting medical evidence payment be made without delay.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Disability Benefits.
32.
The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is in the negative. As regards the second part, I would point out to the Deputy that the mere submission of medical evidence is not of itself sufficient to qualify a person for the receipt of disability benefit, he must also satisfy the statutory contribution conditions. Where these conditions are fulfilled I can assure the Deputy that disability benefit is paid promptly on receipt of medical or other satisfactory evidence of incapacity.
I must admit, of course, that isolated cases of delay, which are not confined to the Donegal area, do occur from time to time for one reason or another, and if the Deputy will let me have particulars of any specific cases he may have in mind, I will have inquiries made in the matter.
There is one case with the Minister's Department at present which, unless it has been dealt with in the last few days, has been there since the beginning of December. Medical evidence has been submitted week after week by the local authority's medical officer. If this is not ample evidence that the man is incapacitated, I cannot say what is. I can quote also from a letter received this morning——
The Deputy may not quote.
The text of a letter from a constituent of the Minister's informs me that this man of 70 years has had to travel 300 miles, 28 miles per journey and still without result for the same reason. I will give the Minister his name and address.
When these cases are investigated, there is usually a very sound reason for any delay. I have carefully looked into the entire record of the case referred to by the Deputy. I am not afraid to defend any delays in this case.
Is the Minister now saying that the local medical officer submitted false evidence?
I am aware that on a previous occasion when this person was in receipt of disability benefit two different medical referees from my Department certified him as capable of work. If we are talking about the same person, he was in receipt of benefit for a period until it was exhausted. Then he was in receipt of unemployment assistance and then in receipt of disability benefit again. We cannot regard everybody with suspicion, but the regulations in regard to who is and who is not qualified must be observed.
I am not certain whether the Minister and I are talking about the same case. If it is the same case, the medical officer has informed me that he is prepared to testify on oath in any court that this man is incapacitated.
I have been looking up the cases the Deputy is interested in and this is the one that seemed to fit in best. I can assure the Deputy that it is not the only occasion when our medical referees did not agree with the claimant's medical referee.
Why was not action taken against him? Is the Minister not going to have another look at it?
Doctors differ and patients die. That is one of the oldest maxims.
Is that the sympathy the Minister has? Let the patient die?
There is very little chance of the patient I am talking about dying.