asked the Minister for Social Welfare the average time taken for an appeal on social welfare matters to be heard; the efforts, if any, he is making to reduce the time taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Appeals.
52.
A number of factors can have a bearing on the speed with which appeals are processed. Each appeal case is determined having regard to its own particular merit. The time for cases which are dealt with summarily by appeals officers is four to six weeks. Further investigation may be necessary where, for example, the contentions put forward by the appellant as the basis for the appeal are at variance with the information already available. In many cases, this may result in prolonged inquiries by a social welfare office before the case is submitted to an appeals officer.
Where further investigation of an appeal case is not deemed to be necessary, it is estimated that the time taken to process an oral hearing from the date the case is referred to the appeals officer to the date of hearing is about ten weeks in Dublin and longer in provincial areas. Staffing arrangements for dealing with appeals are kept under review so as to keep delays to a minimum. Additional appeals officers, including some temporary appeals officers, have been appointed in recent years.
Deputies will be aware that I recently announced in the House that the Government have approved the setting up of a Social Welfare Appeals Office as an executive office of my Department. This is in line with the commitment given in the Programme for National Recovery. Arrangements are already under way to set up the new office on an administrative basis. I intend to introduce the necessary legislative changes early next year in the context of the usual Social Welfare Bill following the budget.
The setting up of the Social Welfare Appeals Office will provide an improved service to social welfare claimants who wish to exercise their right to appeal.