Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Nov 1991

Vol. 413 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Ruairí Quinn

Question:

47 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person who claims and is granted occupational injury benefit is not informed that he/she may also be entitled to medical care; if he will confirm the extent of the medical care; the way in which this can be claimed; if he will further outline the conditions laid down when claiming; the reason this benefit is being kept a secret; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Social Welfare (Mr. Daly)

The medical care scheme is a part of the occupational injuries scheme and provides for a refund of the cost of medical care and attention required as a result of an accident or a prescribed disease developed at work.

Under the conditions of the scheme benefit is limited to the costs of medical care and attention which are not met under the health acts or under the social welfare treatment benefit scheme. The claimant is required to give notice of intention to claim within six weeks of commencement of the course of medical care.

The medical care for which expenses may be claimed are as follows: doctor's visits; doctor's prescriptions; certain medical or surgical appliances such as artificial limbs or hearing aids and their repair or replacement; certain dental and optical treatment; specialist care where not met under the Health Acts; certain qualified nursing at home or on the instructions of a doctor; certain treatments prescribed by a doctor; certain travelling expenses, which are usually limited to the cost of public transport.

Notice of claim for medical care can be given by writing or lodging a completed form, available as part of the medical care information leaflet SW 34 which also sets out the qualifying conditions. Very few complaints have been received concerning lack of information or difficulties in claiming medical care.

Most claims under the occupation injury scheme first present themselves as claims to injury benefit, which is a weekly payment during periods of incapacity in the six months following the accident or onset of a prescribed disease. I am arranging to have a form of acknowledgement issued to new claimants for occupational injury benefit which will bring the medical care scheme to their attention at that stage.