asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of medical referees employed by his Department, the number of disability benefit appeals adjudicated in 1979, and the average delay prior to medical assessment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Medical Referees.
53.
The number of medical referees employed by my Department is 17. The number of disability benefit appeals adjudicated in 1979 was 796. On average the interval between the date of lodgment of an appeal and the date of the subsequent medical assessment is about four weeks.
Would the Minister agree that in many cases there appear to be differences of opinion between the claimants' doctors and the Department's referees?
It is the purpose of the medical referee to provide an independent assessment. The number of referees has been increased in recent years to ensure that this independent assessment will be available and that the time taken to carry out this assessment will not be unduly long. It is, I am afraid, a necessary part of the system if one is to avoid abuse.