Mary Flaherty
Ceist:22 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make a statement on the up to date position regarding the establishment of an appeals office and whether regulations governing this area have been finalised.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Appeals Office.
Arrangements to set up the new appeals office are well under way. The director and chief appeals officer has already been appointed and work on the refurbishment of the office accommodation will start next week.
The new office will have its own self-contained accommodation and its own secretarial staff. Consulting and hearing rooms will be provided for clients and special attention is being paid to the need for privacy.
The regulations which will up-date the procedures in relation to appeals in line with the requirements of the new office and set out the duties and functions of the chief appeals officer will be finalised in time for the formal launch of the new office in September 1990.