Vol. 470 No. 5
69 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Health if he will have an investigation made into a complaint by a person (details supplied) in County Donegal into the way in which she was treated by the North-Western Health Board following an accident at work. [19535/96]
Limerick East): The matter raised is primarily for the attention of the North-Western Health Board as the employer of the person concerned. The information available to me in relation to this case is as follows: the person to whom the question relates has been on continuous sick leave for over three and a half years now. The health board is dealing with the case in accordance with the board's approved sick leave policy and procedures.
The Department has been aware of this case as the individual in question has been paid at pension rate for 18 months. Pension rate of pay is normally only sanctioned when there is a reasonable expectation that the employee will return to work and a date of return has been ascertained. Only in exceptional cases should pension rate be sanctioned for more than six months. Because of the sensitivities of the case this sanction has been continued.
The person concerned is processing a claim of having sustained an injury at work. An appeal has been lodged with the Minister for the Environment regarding the payment of injury grant under section 52 of the local government superannuation scheme which provides for the payment of 5/6ths of pension on a continuous basis to employees injured in the course of their duties. In addition legal proceedings have been instituted against the board and her case is set for hearing.
