I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 23 together.
I was very pleased to receive a copy of the Coolock Community Law Centre's report: Fit for Work — Who Decides. All of the reforms which I have made in the Social Welfare system over recent years have been aimed at making the service more client-orientated and user-friendly. This report will aid that process by its examination of the disability benefit service and, in particular, the decisions and appeals offices. Most importantly, the report has focused on the perception of clients of the Social Welfare system and the improvements which might be made. I have already written to the Coolock Community Law Centre and commended it for the detailed work which went into compiling the report.
The focus of the report has been on the need to improve the flow of information both within the Social Welfare Services Office and between the client and the office. The first of these is subject to ongoing review within my Department and the views expressed within the report will be considered as part of that process.
Better information for customers is an area which I am particularly keen to develop. This becomes particularly important with the increasing array of services which my Department provides and the development away from passive income maintenance programmes to a proactive and dynamic approach. In recent years, I have introduced a significant number of initiatives to bring about a much greater customer orientation and dynamism within the service. Those that are particularly relevant in the context of the Coolock Community Law Centre's report are as follows: I recently established a Decisions Advisory Office within my Department which will provide better information and advice to Social Welfare clients about how their entitlements are worked out under the social welfare law; the new office will provide advice and guidance to deciding officers who — although appointed by the Minister for Social Welfare — are independent in the exercise of their duties and responsibilities. The Office will put the principles of natural justice — one of the principal concerns of the report — at centre stage in improving information for the public. I am particularly keen to see the introduction of individual personalised letters for customers explaining decisions and how they were made in individual circumstances; in 1991, I established the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office which has surpassed all expectations in the success it has had. Appeals are now made directly to its director who is also the Chief Appeals Officer. In practice, this means that the appellant is in touch with the appeals office from the point at which the appeal is made up to the time when the decision issues. In establishing the Social Welfare Appeals Office it was my intention to retain and build on the strengths of the former system and to increase client confidence in the appeals process. I can confidently say that this has been achieved: as part of my Department's ongoing commitment to improving its service to clients, new payment methods have been introduced which improve the flexibility and userfriendliness of the administration of the system. As far as disability benefit is concerned, all those who have been in receipt of benefit for 12 months or more are now paid by order book cashable at their post office and are not required to submit weekly or monthly certificates of incapacity for work.
It goes without saying that any administrative system must be continuously reviewed and reformed to take account of experience gained and changes in needs. The medical referee system is also subject to such review.
The function of the medical referee is to provide a professional medical opinion for the deciding officer on whether the client's illness, as certified by their own doctor, renders them incapable of work.
In carrying out examinations, the medical referee reviews the history of the case, including the initial diagnosis already made by the person's medical practitioner, considers any fresh reports received and expresses an opinion based on the results of their medical examination of the client. It is open to the client's medical practitioner to attend a medical referee examination if they wish.
The serving medical referees are all highly qualified medical practitioners, many with specialist qualifications, including a consultant physician, a consultant occupational physician and a doctor with a masters degree in psychotherapy.
The medical referee examination system works well and the medical referees carry out their duties in a conscientious and impartial manner. The system is nonetheless kept under review to ensure that client needs are fully met and the report of the Coolock Community Law Centre will undoubtedly be helpful in this regard.