Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

The appeals system established in section 22 provides that officers specifically appointed for that purpose by the chief executive officer of the authority will determine the appeals, and those appeals officers will act independently in the performance or functions set out in the section. It is not unusual and the Deputy referred to the social welfare appeals process, where medical card appeals are operated on the same principle. People have recourse afterwards to go to the Circuit Court.

The main reason for this type of appeal system is that it will be a faster and more efficient way of making an appeal. I have discussed with the Deputy the possibility of the board of the authority performing this appeal function but I would not favour it. The board has a specific corporate governance role to play and the executive and management have another role to play; the two should not overlap.

This section outlines our proposed process, which will bring about an efficient, effective and inexpensive procedure. I ask the Deputy to accept it.

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