Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

The current average times to process social welfare appeals, by scheme, based on figures for 2010 are given in the detailed table following this reply, which I will not read out unless Deputy Kelleher really wants me to. The figures include cases revised by deciding officers of the Department in addition to those decided by appeals officers. There are no figures readily available for the longest waiting times in each scheme. I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that the overall average waiting time for an appeal dealt with by way of a summary decision in 2010 was 27 weeks, while the average time to process an oral hearing was almost 46 weeks. These processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. These include all activities during this period including time spent in the Department for comments by the deciding officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the appellant and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department's inspectors and medical assessors that is deemed necessary. A considerable period of time is added to the process when an oral hearing is required because of the logistics involved in the oral hearing. In order to be fair to all appellants, the appeals are dealt with in strict chronological order.

There has been a very significant increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office between 2007, when the intake was 14,070, and 2010, when the intake rose to 32,432. The Department estimates some 30,000 appeals will be lodged this year. The Department has made nine additional appointments to the office in recent weeks. Of these, three appointments are permanent assignments and six are temporary assignments for a period of two years, subject to review. These assignments will augment the three appointments made to the office in 2010, bringing the total number of appeals officers serving in the office to 29. In addition, since July 2010, eight retired appeals officers, equating to a further three full-time officers, have been assisting on a strictly temporary basis with the backlog of appeals and it is intended that they will be employed until the end of this year.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

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