Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes. The target is to deal with the back log of 14,000 appeals for this year. Last year's starting figure of 20,000 was reduced to 14,000. Our target is to reduce that figure significantly in this year. We are on course to achieve that target.

The chief appeals officer has overseen staff training in making decisions on appeals. If a claimant presents full information with the initial appeal then a summary decision can be made which can deal with the case then and there. Unlike the systems in other countries, our system is not a one-shot appeal system where all the information is provided once. As Deputy Collins mentioned, if more information is required such as additional medical evidence, our system allows for this to be presented at a subsequent stage. If the revised decision system is working as efficiently as possible this will also help to reduce the number of appeals, as will initial decisions which have been supplied with all the required information.

The Department has worked to ensure that the application forms are clear so that applicants have the full information. The new Intreo offices have general reception desks which provide information on what applicants need to provide. There is a greater emphasis on information which it is hoped will help applicants. For example, medical letters which do not provide exact and sufficient information about the applicant's medical condition to the Department's medical assessor are not helpful. Such information may be a personal view of the person's GP in a wish to help him or her. The chief medical officer has been working with doctors to improve the quality of information provided to the Department and so that they understand what is required by the medical assessors with regard to description and specific explanation of medical issues.