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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Jun 1991

Vol. 409 No. 9

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

John Ellis

Ceist:

81 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department will now allow credit contributions due to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim.

John Ellis

Ceist:

82 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department will now allow credits to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 82 together.

According to the records of my Department, the person concerned has not been employed since 1970. Since that time he has made a variety of claims for unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance and disability benefit. He is not currently entitled to unemployment benefit as he has exhausted his entitlement and has not had any qualifying contributions paid since 1970. He is not entitled to unemployment assistance as he has failed to fully disclose his means from land of which he is the beneficial occupant.

The person concerned has made several claims to disability benefit. A claim made in March 1989 could not be allowed until February 1990. According to the records of my Department, he did not have 260 paid contributions. However, in December 1989 he supplied information concerning his employment in Great Britain. The new information allowed his claim to be admitted up to 18 May 1989, on which date he was examined by a medical referee and was found to be capable of work.

While the person concerned is known to be familiar with the procedures, I am prepared in the exceptional circumstances of this case to have credited contributions awarded for the period May 1989 to February 1990; i.e., while the position regarding the contributions was being clarified. The effect of this decision will be to satisfy the contributions for a claim to disability benefit made on 11 June 1991.

The person concerned was examined by medical referees on three occasions in 1990 and was found to be capable of work. He made an appeal to the independent social welfare appeals office and the appeals officer ruled in October 1990 that the person concerned is not entitled to disability beenfit. In these circumstances, a further medical review is being arranged on an urgent basis and the question of entitlement will be decided when the results of the examination are available.
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