Social Welfare Benefits.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2008

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Questions (340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347)

Leo Varadkar

Question:

451 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average processing time that it takes for a claim for jobseeker’s allowance to be dealt with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32050/08]

Leo Varadkar

Question:

452 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average processing time that it takes for a claim for jobseeker’s benefit to be dealt with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32051/08]

Leo Varadkar

Question:

453 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the processing time that it takes for each individual social welfare office to deal with a claim for jobseeker’s benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32052/08]

Leo Varadkar

Question:

454 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the processing time that it takes for each individual social welfare office to deal with a claim for jobseeker’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32053/08]

Leo Varadkar

Question:

455 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the numbers of individuals on a national, county and local social welfare office basis waiting for their application for jobseeker’s benefit to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32054/08]

Leo Varadkar

Question:

456 Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the numbers of individuals on a national, county and local social welfare office basis waiting for their application for jobseeker’s allowance to be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32055/08]

Written answers

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 to 456, inclusive, together.

The Department is committed to providing a quality customer service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are issued as expeditiously as possible having regard to the eligibility conditions which apply. These conditions vary between the two jobseeker schemes and involve, among other things, the need to establish the person's social insurance record, establish the person's identity or their place of habitual residence and to assess means where appropriate. In some cases delays arise where the person fails to supply all pertinent information in support of their application.

The average processing time for applications processed in August was 3 weeks for jobseeker's benefit claims and 5 weeks for jobseeker's allowance claims. The overall performance in any individual office in processing claims can be adversely affected by a wide variety of factors, including increased inflow of claims, staff vacancies and the duration of such vacancies and the turnover of staff in the office. Since the beginning of year there has been a significant increase in the number of claims for a jobseeker payment and the Department has taken a number of measures to deal with the increased workload. These measures include the assignment of 31 additional staff to local offices, extending the contracts of some temporary staff and additional resources for overtime.

Following are the following tabular statements: Table 1 — Average processing times in weeks for jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance claims decided in August. Table 2 — The number of jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's allowance claims awaiting a decision at w/e 20 September 2008. The tables list both Local Offices and Branch Offices. Branch Offices are operated under a contract for service and decisions on claims taken in Branch Offices are made in its departmental parent Local Office. Statistics in relation to processing times and claims awaiting decisions are not available on a county basis, as the catchment area of Local Offices and Branch Offices do not correspond exactly with county boundaries.

Table 1: Average Processing Times August 2008

Office	Parent Office	JA	JB
Achill		0.17	6
Apollo House		4	4
Ardee	Drogheda	6	3
Arklow		5	4
Athlone		6	2
Athy	Newbridge	7	4
Balbriggan	Coolock	5	2
Ballina		6	4
Ballinasloe	Athlone	5	2
Ballinrobe	Galway	6	3
Ballybofey	Donegal	3	1
Ballyconnell	Cavan	13	6
Ballyfermot		7	3
Ballymun		2	1
Ballyshannon	Donegal	2	1
Baltinglass	Newbridge	5	5
Bandon	Carraigaline	8	4
Bantry (BO)	Bantry CO	6	4
Belmullet		3	2
Birr	Athlone	5	3
Bishop Square		6	4
Blanchardstown		6	2
Boyle	Longford	8	5
Bray		5	3
Buncrana		5	3
Cahir	Clonmel	2	1
Cahirciveen		3	3
Carlow		7	2
Carraigaline		2	1
Carrickmacross	Dundalk	6	1
Carrick-on-Shannon		3	1
Carrick-on-Suir	Waterford	5	3
Cashel	Clonmel	2	2
Castlebar		2	2
Castleblaney	Dundalk	4	2
Castlepollard	Mullingar	7	4
Castlerea	Ballina	7	5
Cavan		9	5
Claremorris	Ballina	8	4
Clifden		2	1
Clonakilty	Carraigaline	12	3
Clondalkin		6	3
Clones	Dundalk	2	2
Clonmel		2	1
Cobh		2	1
Coolock		3	2
Cork		7	4
Dingle	Tralee	2	2
Donegal		6	1
Drogheda		7	2
Dun Laoghaire		6	3
Dundalk		4	2
Dunfanaghy		2	1
Dungarvan	Waterford	5	3
Dungloe		2	2
Edenderry	Mullingar	10	3
Ennis		4	2
Enniscorthy	Wexford	5	2
Ennistymon	Ennis	4	4
Fermoy	Mallow	5	4
Finglas		4	2
Galway		11	6
Gorey	Wexford	7	3
Gort	Ennis	7	4
Kells	Navan	11	9
Kenmare		2	1
Kilbarrack		4	3
Kilkenny		3	2
Killarney		4	3
Killorglin	Tralee	4	3
Killybegs	Donegal	2	1
Kilmallock	Newcastle West	4	3
Kilrush	Ennis	2	2
Kinsale	Carraigaline	10	2
Letterkenny		5	4
Limerick		6	4
Listowel		5	3
Longford		5	4
Loughrea		7	3
Macroom	Mallow CO	5	6
Mallow	Mallow CO	5	5
Manorhamilton		1	1
Maynooth	Ballyfermot	7	4
Midleton	Carraigaline	8	4
Monaghan	Dundalk	3	2
Muine Bheag	Carlow	8	5
Mullingar		6	3
Navan		14	5
Navan Road		7	3
Nenagh	Thurles	2	2
New Ross	Wexford	5	2
Newbridge		5	4
Newcastle West		3	2
Newmarket	Listowel	6	5
Nth Cumberland St.		3	2
Nutgrove		2	1
Portarlington	Tullamore CO	10	2
Portlaoise	Kilkenny	8	3
Rathdowney	Kilkenny	7	3
Roscommon	Longford	7	3
Roscrea	Thurles	2	1
Skibbereen	Bantry CO	5	4
Sligo		3	1
Swinford	Ballina	6	4
Swords	Nth Cumberland St.	3	3
Tallaght		4	3
Thomas Street		4	3
Thomastown	Waterford	7	4
Thurles		2	1
Tipperary	Clonmel	2	2
Tralee		4	2
Trim	Navan	15	9
Tuam	Galway	7	4
Tubbercurry	Carrick-on-Shannon	4	1
Tulla	Ennis	2	2
Tullamore		9	2
Tullow	Carlow	7	4
Waterford		4	3
Westport		2	2
Wexford		6	3
Wicklow	Arklow	3	2
Youghal	Carraigaline	5	3

Table 2: Claims Awaiting Decision at w/e 20 September 2008

Office	Parent Office	JA	JB
Achill		6	0
Apollo House		231	270
Ardee	Drogheda	130	101
Arklow		164	165
Athlone		179	180
Athy	Newbridge	135	247
Balbriggan	Coolock	197	133
Ballina		193	119
Ballinasloe	Athlone	88	82
Ballinrobe	Galway	66	32
Ballybofey	Donegal	91	23
Ballyconnell	Cavan	102	68
Ballyfermot		165	71
Ballymun		57	36
Ballyshannon	Donegal	41	24
Baltinglass	Newbridge	70	52
Bandon	Carraigaline	131	82
Bantry (BO)	Bantry CO	45	46
Belmullet		22	17
Birr	Athlone	96	37
Bishop Square		428	497
Blanchardstown		536	300
Boyle	Longford	65	53
Bray		217	338
Buncrana		245	111
Cahir	Clonmel	20	35
Cahirciveen		30	30
Carlow		212	105
Carraigaline		103	60
Carrickmacross	Dundalk	98	47
Carrick-on-Shannon		71	47
Carrick-on-Suir	Waterford	83	66
Cashel	Clonmel	19	32
Castlebar		82	56
Castleblaney	Dundalk	76	31
Castlepollard	Mullingar	76	39
Castlerea	Ballina	119	98
Cavan		429	266
Claremorris	Ballina	117	96
Clifden		29	6
Clonakilty	Carraigaline	84	47
Clondalkin		457	379
Clones	Dundalk	27	23
Clonmel		63	44
Cobh		21	21
Coolock		206	108
Cork		1,684	1,051
Dingle	Tralee	10	9
Donegal		20	28
Drogheda		703	278
Dun Laoghaire		430	317
Dundalk		295	184
Dunfanaghy		30	26
Dungarvan	Waterford	78	81
Dungloe		51	40
Edenderry	Mullingar	161	84
Ennis		173	150
Enniscorthy	Wexford	179	102
Ennistymon	Ennis	70	59
Fermoy	Mallow	87	114
Finglas		258	245
Galway		1,535	919
Gorey	Wexford	184	181
Gort	Ennis	61	59
Kells	Navan	217	171
Kenmare		9	20
Kilbarrack		142	192
Kilkenny		266	121
Killarney		73	111
Killorglin	Tralee	56	28
Killybegs	Donegal	19	11
Kilmallock	Newcastle West	80	87
Kilrush	Ennis	47	36
Kinsale	Carraigaline	67	30
Letterkenny		285	156
Limerick		912	668
Listowel		133	119
Longford		279	260
Loughrea		133	70
Macroom	Mallow CO	60	88
Mallow	Mallow CO	112	142
Manorhamilton		15	14
Maynooth	Ballyfermot	471	252
Midleton	Carraigaline	207	185
Monaghan	Dundalk	98	84
Muine Bheag	Carlow	107	98
Mullingar		236	166
Navan		472	526
Navan Road		378	188
Nenagh	Thurles	77	55
New Ross	Wexford	103	97
Newbridge		435	638
Newcastle West		64	54
Newmarket	Listowel	74	111
Nth Cumberland St.		278	251
Nutgrove		102	112
Portarlington	Tullamore CO	210	94
Portlaoise	Kilkenny	260	204
Rathdowney	Kilkenny	83	47
Roscommon	Longford	78	83
Roscrea	Thurles	34	22
Skibbereen	Bantry CO	67	37
Sligo		199	78
Swinford	Ballina	128	61
Swords	Nth Cumberland St.	114	155
Tallaght		386	324
Thomas Street		261	119
Thomastown	Waterford	87	66
Thurles		55	52
Tipperary	Clonmel	36	59
Tralee		155	207
Trim	Navan	282	361
Tuam	Galway	185	87
Tubbercurry	Carrick-on-Shannon	37	21
Tulla	Ennis	55	47
Tullamore		327	114
Tullow	Carlow	109	92
Waterford		402	565
Westport		33	32
Wexford		243	175
Wicklow	Arklow	106	108
Youghal	Carraigaline	80	51
		22,166	17,060

Michael Ring

Question:

457 Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when the schedule of assets of a deceased person (details supplied) will be examined; and if the option of cancellation or suspension of the repayment of the overpayment will be considered taking account of the circumstances of this case. [32063/08]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

The deceased person in this case was assessed with an overpayment of €9,855.56 in respect of the period 19/02/1999 to 24/10/2002 and had been repaying this amount by way of weekly deductions of €12.50 from his pension. At the date of death he had repaid €3,312.50 leaving an outstanding balance of €6,543.00

In circumstances where a person dies leaving an outstanding overpayment it is the Department's policy to seek recovery of the amount from the estate of the deceased. In order to determine if there are sufficient funds to discharge the debt, a copy of the schedule of assets of the estate is required by the Department. A copy of the schedule of assets was requested from the Solicitor for the estate on the 24th September 2008. On receipt of the schedule of assets the case will be reviewed and a decision made with regard to the monies due to the Department.

Jack Wall

Question:

458 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has not received assistance from a community welfare officer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32098/08]

Minister for Social and Family Affairs (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Each application is determined by the Executive based on the particular circumstances of the case. Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment.

The Dublin/Mid-Leinster area of the Executive has advised that the person concerned applied to the local Community Welfare Office (CWO) for a number of ENPs on 22 September 2008. The CWO refused the ENP applications on the grounds that an exceptional need was not established. The person concerned may re-apply for an ENP if there are any changes in her circumstances.

Question No. 459 answered with Question No. 444.