asked the Minister for Social Welfare in respect of each employment exchange in Dublin, for each of the past six months, the number of persons in receipt of unemployment assistance.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
75.
The information requested by the Deputy is given in the following table:
Unemployment Assistance Applicants Dublin Employment Exchanges (September 1987 to February 1988)
(end of)
|
Employment Exchange |
Sept. 1987 |
Oct. 1987 |
Nov. 1987 |
Dec. 1987 |
Jan. 1988 |
Feb. 1988 |
|
Gardiner Street |
7,462 |
7,323 |
7,362 |
7,480 |
7,590 |
7,613 |
|
Werbugh Street |
6,047 |
5,951 |
5,892 |
5,890 |
5,989 |
5,993 |
|
Victoria Street |
1,473 |
1,473 |
1,425 |
1,410 |
1,378 |
1,429 |
|
Cumberland Street |
8,151 |
7,906 |
7,991 |
7,979 |
8,171 |
8,285 |
|
Townsend Street |
951 |
878 |
880 |
914 |
904 |
909 |
|
Navan Road |
4,552 |
4,513 |
4,557 |
4,574 |
4,605 |
4,717 |
|
Thomas Street |
4,308 |
4,219 |
4,247 |
4,335 |
4,340 |
4,346 |
|
Tara Street |
2,283 |
2,244 |
2,267 |
2,256 |
2,278 |
2,306 |
|
Tallaght |
3,465 |
3,542 |
3,508 |
3,531 |
3,615 |
3,625 |
|
Ballymun |
2,220 |
2,164 |
2,197 |
2,181 |
2,200 |
2,225 |
|
Clondalkin |
2,214 |
2,203 |
2,222 |
2,283 |
2,287 |
2,300 |
|
Total |
43,126 |
42,416 |
42,548 |
42,833 |
43,357 |
43,748 |
Note: The Majority of those above are persons in receipt of an Unemployment Assistance payment. the above figures also include some people whose claims have not yet been decided.
76.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare in respect of each employment exchange in Dublin for each of the past six months (a) the number of persons whose unemployment assistance has been discontinued on the grounds that the applicant was not genuinely seeking and unable to obtain suitable employment (b) the number of persons who appealed against these decisions and (c) the number of appeals which were successful.
Disallowances of unemployment assistance claims on grounds of the claimant not genuinely seeking work are made by deciding officers of the Department in the employment exchanges or at the Department's headquarters depending on the particular circumstances and comprehensive statistics are not kept of the numbers requested by the Deputy.
However, since the beginning of this year details have been recorded of unemployment assistance appeals lodged in the Dublin area against decisions to disallow payment on the grounds mentioned. There have been 292 such appeals and of these, some 72 cases have been dealt with so far of which 41 have been allowed. The breakdown over the employment exchanges is as follows:
|
Exchange |
Appeals |
Heard |
Successful |
|
North Cumberland Street |
247 |
64 |
35 |
|
Gardiner Street |
20 |
3 |
2 |
|
Werburg Street |
9 |
1 |
1 |
|
Thomas Street |
6 |
1 |
1 |
|
Dún Laoghaire |
5 |
1 |
0 |
|
Victoria Street |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
Clondalkin |
1 |
— |
— |
|
Navan Road |
1 |
1 |
1 |
All the postal applicants for the Dublin area (that is those who live more than six miles away from an employment exchange and who sign at local Garda stations) are processed centrally at the North Cumberland Street employment exchange and the proportionately large number of appeals at that office is mainly due to a general review of postal claimants which began in November last year and which was referred to in reply to Question No. 35 of 4 February 1988 from the Deputy.
77.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department will review the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5 whose disability benefit has been discontinued from 9 March 1988 in view of the fact that this person's sight is acutely retarded that he is completely blind in one eye; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 9 March 1988 following an examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. The person concerned has appealed against the disallowance and arrangements are being made to have him examined by a different medical referee. His claim to benefit will be reviewed in the light of the medical referee's report following this examination.
78.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason sick benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
To qualify for payment of disability benefit a claimant must have 39 contributions paid since entry into insurable employment.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 25 December 1987. She was not initially entitled to benefit as according to the records of the Department she had no contributions paid since her entry into insurable employment. However she subsequently submitted details of her employment record confirming that she has sufficient contributions paid to qualify for payment of benefit.
The records have now been adjusted and all arrears payable have been issued to her.
79.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position regarding the entitlement of disability benefit appeal applicants to a written medical report from their doctor; if he is concerned that consultants in the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7 have refused to give medical reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The medical referee system is one of the key elements of control in the administration of the disability and injury benefit schemes. Every effort is made to ensure that the interests of persons referred for medical referee examination are fully safeguarded. Their own certifiers are advised of the forthcoming examinations and invited to submit an appropriate medical report including references to any recent consultant examinations. In addition it is open to a certifier to attend a medical referee examination if he or she so wishes.
In any case where, following a medical referee examination, it is decided that a claimant is no longer entitled to benefit, the person concerned is advised of the right of appeal. Should the claimant wish to exercise that right then a further examination by a different medical referee is arranged. If, following this examination, the opinion of the second medical referee agrees with the first one then the claimant is invited to complete a statement of appeal. The appeal is then submitted for consideration by an appeals officer who may decide if he considers it necessary to hold an oral hearing of the appeal. Appeals officers are statutorily appointed and are independent in the exercise of their statutory functions.
The Department are not aware of any significant problem in obtaining medical reports in appeal cases. Some 70 per cent of such cases are covered by medical reports received from the certifiers who will refer to any consultant examinations carried out. If at the appeal stage the appeals officer considers it necessary, he may decide to request a consultant's report which will also be brought to the appellant's notice when obtained.
If the Deputy is concerned about any specific case, I will be happy to have the case examined if he forwards the particulars.