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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 27 Mar 2003

Vol. 563 No. 6

Written Answers - Social Welfare Appeals.

Seymour Crawford

Question:

21 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of appeals which are on hand in respect of each category of social welfare payment; the average time it is taking to process and complete the appeals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8416/03]

Dinny McGinley

Question:

41 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she has satisfied herself with the length of time it takes the social welfare appeals office to process claims; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8419/03]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 41 together.

The number of appeals, by social welfare payment category, on which work was in progress at 1 March 2003 was as follows:

Unemployment schemes

1,119

Farm Assist

56

Disability Benefit

1,360

Disability Allowance

927

Invalidity Pensions

217

Disablement Benefit

364

Old Age Pensions

362

Carer's Payments

508

One-Parent Family Payments

690

Other

195

Total

5,798

The number of appeals on hand has been reduced from 7,500 at the beginning of 2000 to the current total of 5,798.
A consultancy study on the appeals process was recently carried out to assist the management of the appeals office in effecting improvements in the service. Additional resources have been assigned to the office and further measures are being put in place to reduce the number of appeals on hands and to shorten the average time taken to process an appeal.
The average time taken to process appeals determined during 2002 and the early months of 2003 was 23 weeks. This average period includes all phases of appeals such as the additional time involved in the determination of appeals where, for example, further investigations have to be made or where adjournments have been sought by the appellant or by the legal representative acting on his behalf. In some cases appeals can be decided on the basis of information supplied by the appellant and the Department's deciding officer without recourse to an oral hearing and these would take less than the average time. Where an oral hearing is required, an additional delay is inevitable.
The average processing time for the top 75% of claims in 2002 was 15 weeks and, this has been further reduced to the current average of 13.5 weeks. As the number of cases on hand reduces it is anticipated that the average processing time will improve and that this figure will fall significantly during the second half of this year.
The social welfare appeals system is a quasi-judicial one and the procedures involved are designed to ensure that every appellant's case gets full and satisfactory consideration. The achievement of further improvement in processing times is a major objective of the office. However, at all times it is necessary to ensure that progress in this regard is achieved in a manner that is not in conflict with or at a cost to the demands of justice and the requirement that every appeal be fully investigated and examined on all its merits.
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