Gay Mitchell
Ceist:57 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons whose social welfare benefit has been discontinued as a result of suffering from ME; and if he will review his refusal to acknowledge this condition.
Written Answers. - ME Diagnosis.
I am glad the Deputy has afforded me an opportunity to put the record straight in regard to this matter. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or ME as it is commonly known, is a very difficult condition to diagnose and I am aware that the medical profession itself has quite a few problems in this regard. It can take some time before a person is finally diagnosed as having ME. In the meantime they are usually certified to my Department as being incapable of work from some other cause.
As a result of this, perhaps, and also due to the relatively low incidence of the condition, my Department sees very little certification that actually specifies the cause of incapacity as ME.
All disability benefit claims are subject to the normal medical scrutiny offered by my Department's medical referees. In arriving at a conclusion on any particular case they have regard to all relevant matters and in particular to whatever comments are afforded by the claimant's own general practitioner.
I would stress the importance of this particular aspect of the situation. When a person is called before a medical referee his or her doctor is also advised at the same time and invited to furnish appropriate information in relation to the case. It is very desirable and useful to get this information in all instances, but particularly so in conditions such as ME where the certifying doctor has seen the complaint at close quarters for a longer period of time.
I have had the pleasure recently of meeting with representatives of the ME Association and we had a useful mutual exchange of information. The association gave me some good literature on the subject of ME. I arranged to have that literature distributed to all my Department's medical referees and to maintain departmental contact with the association. Our medical personnel keep up to date in medical matters and a number of them recently attended a special session given by the Irish College of Occupational Medicine on the topic of ME by one of the country's leading medical specialists in the field. In addition, I have arranged that the Department's medical adviser will attend the first world symposium on ME that takes place in April in Cambridge. I mention all these things to illustrate that my Department is particularly conscious of the problems of ME.
In conclusion, I would invite the Deputy, if he has a particular case in mind, to forward details to me and I will arrange to have it looked at specially. There are no statistics available that would enable me to say how many persons certified as suffering from ME have been found to be capable of work by the medical referees but the numbers are very small indeed.
Austin Deasy
Ceist:58 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason payment of occupational injuries benefit was discontinued in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford in view of the fact that he was not fully examined by the medical referee and medical evidence submitted by his doctor and specialist confirmed his inability to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Medical referees provide a second opinion to that of the person's own doctor for the guidance of my Department's deciding officers and they carry out such medical examinations as are necessary in each individual case.
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.
The person concerned who was allowed injury benefit under the occupational injuries scheme from 1 September 1989 in respect of incapacity resulting from an accident at work on that date was examined by a medical referee on 1 December 1989.
The medical referee expressed the opinion that the claimant was not incapable of work. In this connection no report was received from his certifying doctor nor was any specialist report received. In carrying out the examination the medical referee noted there were full limb movements of the areas of the body concerned and that he was fully mobile. Payment of injury benefit was disallowed by the deciding officer from 9 December.
The person concerned gave notice of intention to appeal against the decision on 6 February 1990 and submitted a final certificate to the effect he was fit to resume work from 5 February. He submitted a completed appeal form on 20 February together with further medical evidence. This evidence and a medical certificate from the out-patients department of Waterford Regional Hospital received from the final certificate have now been referred to an appeals officer for decision.
The person concerned may be qualified for disablement benefit and a claim form was issued to him for completion and return if he wishes to apply for this benefit.
Jim Higgins
Ceist:60 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Social Welfare the conditions attaching to the new carer's allowance announced by the Minister for Finance in the budget.
Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:64 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline the categories of persons to whom the proposed carer's allowance will be paid; if it is intended to pay it to the parents of mentally handicapped children; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ivan Yates
Ceist:115 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will clarify the eligibility criteria for the new carer's allowance in place of the prescribed relative's allowance; whether dependent spouses will be eligible for this allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 64 and 115 together.
The new carer's allowance will provide a payment of £45 a week, which is equivalent to the new short term rate of unemployment assistance, in place of the prescribed relative allowance of £28 a week currently payable. The new allowance will be provided on a means-tested basis to the carer in his or her own right. It is my intention to extend the scope of the scheme beyond that of the existing prescribed relative allowance. The precise details of the new arrangements are still being considered and my final proposals in this regard will be included in the 1990 Social Welfare Bill, which I plan to introduce next month.
Michael Bell
Ceist:65 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has any plans to revise the criteria for assessment of unemployment assistance with particular reference to young people who reside with parents who are working; his view on whether the present method is unjust; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The assessment of the value of free board and lodgings is the main item of means assessed in the case of single applicants for unemployment assistance living with their parents or relatives. This is in accordance with statutory requirements and each case is decided on its merits having regard to the standard of living of the household and the circumstances of the applicant.
The statutory requirement to take account of the value of board and lodgings has been a feature of the unemployment assistance scheme since its inception. Its purpose is to achieve a degree of equity as between applicants whose parents are well-to-do and those whose parents are in poorer circumstances.
These criteria are continuously reviewed and changes are made to them from time to time where considered appropriate and having regard to budgetary constraints.