Written answers
Wednesday, 8 May 2024
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Social Welfare Appeals
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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327. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of section 317 appeals with the appeals office; the average and median time for a decision on section 317 appeals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20744/24]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
The Social Welfare Appeals system is underpinned by Chapter 2 of Part 10 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 and the Social Welfare (Appeals) Regulations (SI 108/98). Under the legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer under section 317 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 in the light of new evidence or new facts.
There are currently 550 section 317 appeal reviews with the appeals office for determination. A total of 412 section 317 reviews were finalised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office from the beginning of 2023 up to and including the 30th April 2024. The average time taken to finalise these reviews being 9.1 weeks and the median time being 37.9 weeks.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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