The person concerned has been in receipt of invalidity pension since 5 March 1992. The principal qualifying condition for receipt of invalidity pension is that the claimant must be permanently incapable of work and one of the rules governing the scheme is that they do not engage in work. An exemption from this rule may be obtained where the proposed employment is of rehabilitative nature.
The person concerned applied for an exemption on 5 March 2004 to engage in part time work as a school bus driver. The exemption application was refused following a review of all the evidence, including medical advice that the proposed work was inappropriate for the person concerned given the nature of his medical condition. The case was subsequently reviewed by my Department's chief medical adviser who also expressed the opinion that the proposed work was unsuitable for the person concerned in view of his past medical history. Consequently, the exemption application was refused again and the person concerned was notified accordingly on 7 May 2004. On foot of the Deputy's question the case has been reviewed again and the decision to refuse the granting of an exemption to the person concerned has been upheld.