asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefit.
91.
Following re-investigation, the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that by failing to furnish details of his means he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit.
He appealed against the disallowance on 21 February 1989 and, arising from contentions raised by him in support of his appeal, his papers have been returned to the social welfare officer for further inquiries. When these inquiries are completed his case will be submitted to an appeals officer for determination as soon as possible. The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the appeal.
92.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the increased charges which will be payable for claimants under the revised dental benefit treatment schedule which he is introducing.
Under the dental benefit scheme the fees of certain items of treatment are paid entirely by the Department whilst for certain other items the fees are met partially by the Department and partly by the patient.
Under the changes recently announced fees for all items have been increased by 2.5 per cent with effect from October 1988. In addition, other improvements are being brought into effect from 1 March 1989. These include provision for dental examinations every 12 months instead of 18 months at present and provision for additional items of treatment in line with ongoing developments in dentistry. Provision was also made for increases in fees for certain items of treatment where existing fees had got out of line with increases in dentist's costs.
To meet a portion of the cost of the improvements charges are being applied to patients for certain additional items of treatment. These are the less common and more sophisticated items of treatment in respect of which claimants have a greater element of choice. They do not apply to basic items of treatment.
The additional items for which claimants will be required to meet part of the fee are acid-etch and pin-retained fillings where charges of £2.50 and £5.50 respectively will apply and endodontic treatment and apicectomy where charges of £7.50 and £9.50 respectively will apply. The income from these charges will be used to meet part of the cost of the improvements in the scheme and the increased fees to dentists involved.