asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he considers six months or longer as a fair and average time to deal with appeals for non-contributory old age pensions, especially where the pensioners are living in semi-destitution.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pensions Appeals.
54.
In my opinion a period of six months or more would be an unreasonably long time to deal with an appeal unless there were some special reason, and I would certainly not stand over it as a fair average time. I do not, however, accept the inference in the question that people of pensionable age living in semi-destitution have to appeal in order to obtain the pension.