Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I will make this a priority. I have already held discussions with senior and management staff on ways and means of improving the speed with which appeals are handled. As it is a quasi-judicial process, a great deal of care has to be taken when conducting appeals. I am quite confident that the appointment of additional staff and the improvement of procedures, which is being examined by the chief appeals officer at the moment, will result in a reduction of the backlog. I hope that will happen. The backlog has developed in the context of the unfortunate expansion in appeals, which is a consequence of the increase in the levels of unemployment and business losses.

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