Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

I am not quite sure what the Minister is saying but she seems to be suggesting that, while there is a difficulty, it has been dealt with or is clearly on the way to being dealt with. I certainly do not see that on the ground; nor do the applicants. Currently, there are long waiting times of anything up to ten months for applicants for the various schemes. The review system that was put in place was dealing with cases in three to four weeks at one stage but is now taking 12 to 16 weeks. Appeals are taking around 12 months in many cases. There appears to be a situation in which the vast majority of appeals are being dealt with on a desktop basis and requests for oral hearings are not being granted.

The effect of this is huge stress on applicants and their families. In some cases, which I am sure other Members have come across, applicants and appellants have actually passed away during the course of the process.

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