Ms Geraldine Gleeson:

I will go through the questions in chronological order where they do not overlap.

Senator Marie Moloney has made the point that we have given average processing times and that they do not reflect the reality. The Senator knows of a case in which the waiting time was two and a half years and of an invalidity case in which the waiting time was over one year. I accept absolutely that it is an average processing time and that there will be people on the wrong side of it. I notice that we receive many parliamentary questions about individual cases. When I am clearing them, I see what is going through. In recent months files with my office have almost invariably been assigned to an appeals officer. While there would have been a delay in my office owing to cases being put in the press until they were assigned, there is very little delay in my office in that regard now. However, I accept the Senator's point absolutely that, notwithstanding this, people are left waiting for unacceptable periods, for various reasons. The main way forward is what we are doing, that is, working very closely with the Department to ensure that as we reduce our processing times, it will reduce the time during which cases are within its remit.

It has been stated appellants cannot get a third level grant and that they are in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance because they are waiting for a primary payment. I do not know why that is.