Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Would the Minister not admit there has been a dramatic increase in the number of appeals because of a dramatic increase in the number of refusals for various payments? Will he confirm the number of cases on appeal is the highest ever and that a scoping section in the Department provides at least a year in advance to deal with the level of queries under a particular category and that it is being done now to provide for next year?

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