Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

When the number of appeals is put in context of the 1 million payments per week, I think the system is working extremely well. We can always learn from the issues that arise. There is constant contact between the officials from my Department and the Social Welfare Appeals Office to see how to improve and get consistency in the decision making process throughout the country. While there were more than 6,000 successful appeals, some 3,000 were made by the Department's deciding officers. In many of the cases, new information came to the fore, which allowed the deciding officer to make a different decision. Some years ago it was decided that an independent body was needed to deal specifically with appeals. We are encouraging our offices to make people aware of all information and to assist them in making their case in the first instance. We must remember that the Department deals with more than 1 million people per week throughout the country. The Social Welfare Appeals Office did not intend the report as an indictment of the Department. It simply highlights issues which need to be changed. Since the report was made, the officials in my Department and in the appeals office have enhanced procedures and training for staff throughout the country to try to achieve the consistency we would all like.

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