Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. Has the decision by the chief appeals officer to review that decision been conveyed to the applicant, Mr. McGranaghan? I was not aware of that fact. Is it a recent development?

In principle, it is vitally important that the Minister of the day is not setting aside appeals that are grounded in a process. It is important due process happens and so on. There is an issue, obviously, where an appeal decision is arrived at in good faith by the appeals office but which is based on facts that are not correct. Mr. McGranaghan has now been vindicated by the Workplace Relations Commission’s finding. It is clear from that finding, which was under oath, there were several prima facie examples of criminal offences, or potential criminal offences, under sections 251 and 252 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.

A judicial review of the process might have been appropriate in this regard. I do not refer to the decision in the individual case but rather in terms of the process.

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