I propose to take Questions Nos. 296 and 297 together.
Appeals statistics requested by the Deputy in respect of 2006 are currently being processed for inclusion in the annual report of the Chief Appeals Officer which will be published shortly. There were 5,851 appeals awaiting decision on 5 February 2007 of which 1,698 were awaiting an oral hearing. A breakdown of those cases by scheme type is set out in Table A.
Details of the average length of time taken to deal with appeals will be included in the annual report for 2006 which is being compiled. It is not expected it will vary much from the experience in 2005 when it took 20 weeks on average to process all appeals i.e. those decided summarily and by way of an oral hearing. A breakdown of those cases by scheme type is set out in Table B.
If allowance was made for the 25% most protracted cases, the average fell to 13 weeks. Oral hearings are granted at the discretion of the Appeals Officer usually in circumstances where there is a conflict in evidence presented by both parties or where an oral hearing is requested by the appellant in order to present his or her case. Given the logistics involved in organising oral hearings, the average length of time is increased by 8 weeks where an oral hearing is involved.
The processing time for appeals covers all phases of the appeal process including the submission by my Department of its comments on the grounds for the appeal, further examination by the Department's Medical Assessors in certain sickness related cases and the holding of oral hearings which are currently afforded in two out of three cases determined by Appeals Officers. Circumstances may arise, normally outside of the control of the Social Welfare Appeals Office, which have the effect of unduly prolonging the time taken to process appeals. For example, delays can occur where the appellant submits new information or evidence, often at an advanced stage in the proceedings. In some cases adjournments may be sought by the Appellant or his/her representative.
The social welfare appeals system is a quasi-judicial one and the procedures in place for determining appeals are designed to ensure that each case receives full and satisfactory consideration. While improving processing times remains a major objective of the Social Welfare Appeals Office, it is necessary at all times to ensure that progress in this regard is achieved in a manner which is not in conflict with the demands of justice and the requirement that every appeal be fully investigated and examined on all its merits.
Table A: Number of Appeals on hand at 05 February 2007
Scheme Type
|
Appeals on Hand
|
Adoptive benefit
|
1
|
Blind Pension
|
5
|
Carers Allowance
|
370
|
Carers Benefit
|
8
|
Child Benefit
|
95
|
Disability Allowance
|
1,276
|
Disability Benefit
|
1,029
|
Deserted Wives Allowance
|
5
|
Deserted Wives Benefit
|
10
|
Employers PRSI Exemption
|
1
|
Farm Assist
|
36
|
Bereavement Grant
|
11
|
Family Income Supplement
|
33
|
Homemakers
|
1
|
Invalidity Pension(s)
|
279
|
Lone Parents
|
11
|
Liable Relative
|
1
|
Maternity Benefit
|
7
|
Old Age Contributory Pension
|
94
|
Old Age Non-Contributory Pension
|
197
|
Occupational Injury Benefit
|
35
|
Disablement Benefit
|
219
|
Occupational Injury Medical
|
14
|
Orphans Contributory Pension
|
4
|
One Parent Family Payment
|
456
|
Orphans Non-Contributory Pension
|
4
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance
|
5
|
Unemployment Assistance (Means)
|
358
|
Rent Allowance
|
1
|
Respite Care Grant
|
169
|
Retirement Pension
|
25
|
SCOPE (Insurability of Employment)
|
80
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance
|
51
|
Treatment Benefit
|
7
|
Unemployment Assistance
|
624
|
Unemployment Payments Overpayments
|
41
|
Unemployment Benefit
|
262
|
Unemployability Supplement
|
5
|
Widows Contributory Pension
|
11
|
Widows Non-Contributory Pension
|
10
|
Total
|
5,851
|
Table B: Average Processing Time of Appeals disposed of in 2005
Scheme Type
|
Number of Weeks
|
Adoptive Benefit
|
23.8
|
Blind Pension
|
26.0
|
Carers Allowance
|
21.2
|
Carers Benefit
|
29.8
|
Child Benefit
|
18.4
|
Disability Allowance
|
21.6
|
Disability Benefit
|
24.0
|
Deserted Wives Allowance
|
33.1
|
Deserted Wives Benefit
|
22.8
|
Farm Assist
|
22.0
|
Bereavement Grant
|
19.8
|
Family Income Supplement
|
17.9
|
I invalidity Pension
|
24.9
|
Lone Parents
|
33.6
|
Liable Relative
|
71.5
|
Maternity Benefit
|
19.9
|
Old Age Contributory Pension
|
46.1
|
Old Age Non-Contributory Pension
|
22.7
|
Occupational Injury Benefit
|
26.2
|
Disablement Benefit
|
27.6
|
Occupational Injury Medical
|
34.7
|
Orphans Contributory Pension
|
16.5
|
One Parent Family Payment
|
31.3
|
Orphans Non-Contributory Pension
|
33.3
|
Pre-Retirement Allowance
|
19.3
|
Unemployment Assistance (Means)
|
18.9
|
Respite Care Grant
|
10.0
|
Retirement Pension
|
24.4
|
SCOPE (Insurability of Employment)
|
34.1
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance
|
12.2
|
Treatment Benefit
|
10.6
|
Unemployment Assistance
|
10.6
|
Unemployment Payments Overpayments
|
22.7
|
Unemployment Benefit
|
12.6
|
Unemployability Supplement
|
23.4
|
Widows Contributory Pension
|
39.1
|
Widows Non-Contributory Pension
|
28.1
|
Widowed Parent Grant
|
62.8
|
Average Time to Process All Appeals
|
20.2
|