Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2009
229 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the waiting period for the processing of payment in respect of jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s allowance in her Department’s branch offices in Mallow, Fermoy, Cobh, Youghal and Midleton, County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5144/09]
Amharc ar fhreagra230 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applications for jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s allowance awaiting processing for payment at each of her Department’s offices in Mallow, Fermoy, Midleton, Youghal and Cobh, County Cork. [5145/09]
Amharc ar fhreagra231 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of additional clerical staff who will be deployed to her Department’s offices in Mallow, Fermoy, Midleton, Youghal and Cobh, County Cork to deal with the increased number of applications for jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s allowance due to the economic downturn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5146/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 229 to 231, inclusive, together.
The total number of jobseeker claims awaiting a decision at Mallow, Fermoy, Midleton, Youghal and Cobh local offices as at 1st February 2009 and the average processing time for claims decided in January 2009 are provided in the following table. The offices listed in the questions, with the exception of Cobh, are Branch Offices.
Unlike Social Welfare Local Offices that are staffed by civil servants, Branch Offices are operated by private individuals under a contract for service. Branch managers, under their contract for service, must provide for sufficient clerical assistance to allow for the efficient performance of the work of the office. However, the decisions on branch office claims are made in the parent Local Office.
Decisions for Mallow and Fermoy Branch Offices are made in Mallow Control Office which also decides claims for Macroom Branch Office. Decisions for Midleton and Youghal Branch Offices are made in Carrigaline Local Office which also decides claims for the Carrigaline area and for Bandon, Clonakilty and Kinsale Branch Offices. Following a recent staffing review four additional staff are being assigned to Carrigaline Local Office but due to the limited accommodation in the Carrigaline office these staff are being based in the Regional Office in the Marina in Cork city.
The overall performance in any individual local office in processing claims can be adversely affected by a wide variety of factors; including increased inflow of claims, staff vacancies and the duration of such vacancies and the turnover of staff in the office.
The Department has put a range of measures in place to deal with the extra workload arising from the increase in the Live Register. These include:
additional posts assigned;
use of temporary staff to fill vacancies pending the appointment of permanent staff;
extension of temporary staff contracts in certain offices;
increased overtime;
prioritisation of work;
process improvement initiatives.
These measures are being reviewed on a continuous basis.
|
Average time to decide (weeks) January 2009 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Office |
Jobseekers Benefit |
Jobseekers Allowance |
||
|
Claims Awaiting decision |
Average weeks to decision |
Claims Awaiting decision |
Average weeks to decision |
|
|
Mallow |
302 |
5.54 |
180 |
6.60 |
|
Cobh |
13 |
0.98 |
24 |
2.47 |
|
Fermoy |
198 |
3.69 |
144 |
5.45 |
|
Midleton |
347 |
4.39 |
267 |
8.87 |
|
Youghal |
94 |
2.67 |
151 |
6.72 |
232 Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5166/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for disability allowance by the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 26 August 2008 following a review by a Medical Assessor who considered him to be medically unsuitable for the allowance.
He appealed this decision and, in the context of this appeal, he was examined on 21 October 2008 by a different Medical Assessor who also expressed the opinion that he was medically unsuitable for disability allowance.
I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the case has now been referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements have been made. The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an office of the Department that is independently responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
