Vol. 486 No. 1
701 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if the appeal of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be heard as a matter of urgency in view of the fact that he attended his local employment office on 6 November 1997 for a means test and an appeal was lodged at the correct time. [1894/98]
The person concerned was in receipt of unemployment assistance from 1992 based on a means assessment of £4 per week, derived from the value of board and lodging at his parents' home. In the course of a review of his entitlement in 1997, he was requested to provide details of income derived from fishing. He did not provide this information and accordingly a deciding officer decided that he had failed to disclose details of his means and disallowed his unemployment assistance with effect from 30 July 1997.
He re-applied for assistance in August 1997. Following an investigation, a deciding officer, by a decision dated 6 November 1997, assessed means of £81 per week derived from self-employment from fishing with effect from 19 August 1997. This effect of this decision was that the person concerned did not have any entitlement to unemployment assistance.
On 18 November 1997 an appeal was received from the person concerned against a deciding officer's decision dated 13 July 1997. As this was well outside the statutory period of 21 days within which an appeal must be made a late appeal was not accepted.
The Deputy's question is being taken as notice of the person's intention to appeal the decision of 6 November 1997 and an appeal has been registered. The person concerned has in the meantime re-applied for unemployment assistance on 15 December 1997 and this is being investigated. As soon as these investigations are completed the papers will be submitted to the social welfare appeals office for consideration by an appeals officer.
