Vol. 405 No. 3
230 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department use private couriers to deliver departmental correspondence; the courier firms which are currently engaged; and the total amount paid to private courier firms for each year since 1984.
My Department do not employ private courier firms to deliver departmental correspondence.
231 Mr. Hyland asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in dealing with the disability benefit claim submitted by a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned is not entitled to disability benefit on the basis of Irish contributions as he has no Irish contributions recorded for the 1988-89 contribution year, the year which governs his claim. He stated that he was employed in England from June 1987 to August 1989. A reply to an inquiry addressed to the United Kingdom Department of Health & Social Security stated that they had no record of contributions in respect of him for this period. The claimant has supplied further details of his employment in England. These have been passed to the United Kingdom authorities who are now examining the matter further. His entitlement to benefit will be decided when a further reply is received from the United Kingdom Department of Health & Social Security.
232 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will re-examine the decision to disallow disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford in view of the extreme medical circumstances involved.
Payment of disability benefit was disallowed from 23 June 1990, following an examination by a medical referee, who expressed the opinion that the person concerned was capable of work. She appealed this decision and was examined by a different medical referee on 3 August 1990, who also expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
She pursued her appeal and her case was referred to the social welfare appeals office. Following an oral hearing on 16 January 1991 an appeals officer decided that she was not incapable of work within the meaning of the Social Welfare Acts from 23 June 1990 and not entitled to be paid disability benefit from that date.
The decision of the appeals officer is final and may only be altered in the light of new facts or fresh medical evidence. The person concerned has continued to submit medical certificates in support of her claim that she is incapacitated. Arrangements are being made to have her examined by a different medical referee in the near future and her entitlement to benefit will be reviewed in the light of that examination.
