Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:75 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the waiting list for social welfare appeals; and the average waiting time for a decision. [10343/99]
Vol. 503 No. 4
75 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the waiting list for social welfare appeals; and the average waiting time for a decision. [10343/99]
In the social welfare appeals office on 31 March 1999 there were 6,386 appeals outstanding on which work was in progress at various stages of the appeals process.
A total of 14,014 appeals were dealt with by the social welfare appeals office in 1998. The average time taken to process appeals determined during the year was 21 weeks. This average has been maintained during the first three months of 1999 despite an increase of 8 per cent in the number of appeals received as compared with the same period last year.