Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Is it not astonishing that almost half of the social welfare appeals were allowed in the system the Minister outlined? Up to 56% of invalidity pension appeals were fully allowed, 53% of occupational injury appeals were fully or partially allowed and 33% of respite care grants were allowed. Are these not very significant figures? Do they not put the spotlight on the frontline deciding officers? Is the Minister happy there is adequate training and guidelines for deciding officers? The Minister said that a deciding officer can do a review at the point of appeal but how often does that happen? Are there many more cases in addition to the 14,000 cases the Minister read out where an appeal is already operating?

Is it not true that many appeals relate to what one might call borderline injury benefit disability allowance type claims? There were 19,989 applications for disability allowance in 2007 and 2,754 appeals. That is a very significant and striking number. In these borderline cases, particularly where there is a medical element, do we need a new system? Anybody who has had long experience of this area, such as the four Deputies present, probably decided long ago that we should have an independent appeals system. Has the Minister thought about that? Does she believe there should be a statutory independent appeals system and will she take that initiative in her administration?

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