Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Gordon and Mr. McKeon for coming in. I have a number of questions. Mr. McKeon mentioned in his contribution that when the appeals office hires civil servants, they are appointed at assistant principal level. They receive significant training in the legislation and regulations governing entitlement to social welfare benefits and assistance, including updates arising from court determinations, etc. My information is that approximately 70% of appeals officers over the last couple of years are new hires. The experience and the knowledge of social welfare appeals officers built up over the years is really important. I worked in An Post and saw that in human resources and areas like that. Older work mates had a huge wealth of knowledge as to what people were and were not entitled to and that base diminishes when new people come in, particularly when they make up to about 70% of the staff. Is that what we are talking about in terms of the last number of years? Are we saying that up to 70% are new social welfare appeals officers? I would be a bit concerned about that because it can have a knock-on effect on people's ability to make decisions.

The other question I have is for my own clarification. Is Mr. McKeon definitely saying that on a request from a certain appellant for an oral hearing, an appeals officer will grant that oral hearing? Do they have to go their line manager to get clearance for that?

This question relates to a parliamentary question I put to the Minister back in July. In response to this, the Minister stated:

Under the current Regulations, appeals relating to the ‘medical’ conditionality of the illness, disability and caring schemes are determined by Appeals Officers who are not medically qualified even though the decision as to whether or not a person satisfies these scheme conditions is a subjective judgement based on medical evidence.

The revised Regulations introduce a provision that any appeal relating to a person’s capacity to work or requirement for care shall be determined either by an Appeals Officer who is a registered medical practitioner or, if not a registered practitioner, that the Appeals Officer will be obliged to seek the opinion of a medical assessor.  

How many, if any, social welfare appeals officers would be a registered medical practitioner?

Was the conference Mr. McKeon mentioned held in person or remotely?