asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, she has for improving the efficiency in assessing claims and the hearing of appeals; and if decentralisation of parts of her Department will be considered.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers - Social Welfare Administration.
26.
The administrative efficiency of the Department is kept under continuous review. There is an ongoing programme of computerisation of the Department's operations which has been developed at a very considerable rate of progress in recent years to the extent that there are now some one million claims on computers. This programme has still a considerable way to go particularly in relation to the unemployment payments schemes. Nevertheless, its development to date has introduced considerable improvements into the efficiency of the Department's services and has enabled it to cope with a massive increase in its workload. Improved work practices are continually being introduced and where possible, within the Department's own staff resources, staff have been reallocated to the more hard pressed sections.
As regards appeals, the appointment of two additional appeals officers in 1984 and the assignment of a number of temporary appeals officers in mid-1985 has resulted in significant progress in clearing the backlog of cases. Cases decided summarily are subject to very little delay and while there are still delays in processing appeals which are given an oral hearing, nevertheless the position has shown some improvement. For example, there were some 870 cases awaiting oral hearing last July and this figure has been gradually reduced to some 480 at present.
Many of the Department's services are already decentralised to a considerable extent. For example, unemployment payments are made through the Department's countrywide network of local offices. In the case of long term benefits, such as pensions and child benefits where the periods of entitlement can be established well in advance, although the entitlements are decided centrally, payment is made by means of books of vouchers cashable at local post offices. Some 362,000 pensioners and 454,000 families on children's allowances are paid by this method.
The Department are conscious of the need for providing as much information as possible in relation to their services on a localised basis. With this in mind, a computerised inquiry service has been provided in local offices throughout the country and this is gradually being extended as circumstances permit. Improvements in the telephone system, including the recent installation of a modern PABX in Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, should help to reduce delays for people contacting headquarters sections.
The question of deciding and paying benefits such as disability benefit, which are at present administered centrally, on a local or regional basis is something which the Department keep under review. This would, however, require substantial additional resources by way of staff and premises and for this reason can only be planned on a long-term basis.