Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 38, 39, 46, 49 and 75 together.

The national average processing times for jobseeker claims decided during April were 2.33 weeks for jobseeker's benefit and 6.92 weeks for jobseeker's allowance. This compares to processing times of 2.12 weeks and 7.10 weeks respectively in March. Processing times can be affected by the requirements of the schemes such as a means assessment or it may be necessary to ascertain details of foreign insurance records. I have made available to the House a table showing the processing times at each local office during April. The total number of jobseekers awaiting a decision on their claim at 15 May was 45,505. This is a reduction of more than 7,000 compared to the figures one month earlier on 10 April 2010 and represents 9% of the total jobseeker claim load nationwide.

Deputies will agree that over the past year or more we have made significant efforts to reduce processing times and the number of claims awaiting a decision. The national average processing times are very close to the targets of having 90% of jobseeker's benefit claims decided within three weeks and 90% of jobseekers allowance claims decided within six weeks.

As has previously been said in the House, when we look back over several years when the live register was at its lowest, there was always approximately 9% or 10% of claims awaiting a decision. The current performance should be seen in the context that in 2009 alone, local offices received over 670,000 jobseeker claims and so far this year they have received more than 200,000 claims.

I have also made available to the House a table showing the breakdown of jobseeker's benefit, JB, and jobseeker's allowance, JA, claims awaiting a decision at each local office. These data have been compiled from data that is maintained on a local office catchment area basis and these figures do not correspond exactly with county boundaries. The House will be aware of the particular difficulties presented due to the huge rise in unemployment in the past 18 months or so and the pressure this has brought to bear on the network of local and branch offices and in the inspectorate. To alleviate some of this pressure since May 2008, some 450 extra staff have been assigned to local offices, new central support units and to the Department's inspectorate. At the same time the Department has been examining all procedures surrounding the claim acceptance and decisions process with a view to streamlining them and achieving greater efficiencies where possible. These initiatives include the introduction of an appointment system whereby customers can have their claim taken and decided during the appointment. This particular initiative has helped greatly in reducing waiting times and improving processing times. This system is in operation in 38 local offices and there are plans to extend it to further offices.

There is now a more streamlined procedure for customers moving to jobseeker's allowance when their jobseeker's benefit expires. There is also a streamlined process for people who had a claim in the previous two years. The Department has the application forms for the jobseeker schemes on its website, which means that anyone who wants to make a claim can print the form at home and bring it to the local office completed. This helps to reduce queuing times. It is now easier and more straightforward for customers to supply evidence of their identity and address. The Department has also simplified processing methods for some customers who work casually, part-time or on systematic short-time work.

I appreciate the importance of getting claims decided as quickly as possible and I assure the House that staff in local offices and in the Department's inspectorate are doing all they can to ensure that claims are processed as quickly as possible. There are still some offices where processing times and claims awaiting a decision are not as good as we would like. We will strive to reduce processing times and the number of claims awaiting a decision even further where we can, either through streamlining processes and procedures further or through the introduction of new technology to assist with claims processing.

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