Call for redress of denied payments

AN ADVOCACY group has called on the State to redress wrongly denied disability payments.

The Disability Federation of Ireland (DFI) said it found the revelation that 12,000 disabled people living in institutional care were denied payments was ‘deeply troubling’.

On Tuesday, RTÉ Investigates revealed through documents provided by Department of Health whistleblower Shane Corr that it was the State’s legal policy not to trawl through HSE records to determine who else was eligible for the payments.

The DFI has called on the State to identify everyone who has been affected and to establish a statutory repayment scheme, saying: ‘The case highlights historical and more recent approaches to deny disabled people their rights.’

It said the people affected were often living with significant disability and not in a position to advocate for themselves.’

A spokesman added that disabled people ‘continue to be at a much higher risk of poverty and continue to face barriers to full inclusion’ and that ‘people with disabilities need to hear a clear message from the State that there is a commitment to the full implementation’ of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said yesterday that a report to Cabinet from Attorney General Rossa Fanning would outline the State’s liability.

‘I would expect that the report we get from the Attorney General will examine those related issues as well and will give us an account of the background to that and give us an assessment of what is the State’s liability, if any,’ he said.

Mr McGrath indicated that he expected payments would be made in cases where liability was not disputed by the State.

‘Where there is a clear liability which we are advised that we have to face up to, then we will do that and we will meet whatever liability we have. But we do need to bottom that out and look at it with all of the documentation at our disposal.’