Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Two separate issues have been raised. The length of time required to process claims is due to the pressure caused by the number of applications being received. Unfortunately, all offices have experienced a large increase in the number of people applying for jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit. To ensure we can expedite the processing of claims, approximately 30 additional staff were made available some months ago. The Department also received sanction for 115 extra staff who are being recruited from other Departments and moved into the relevant offices. We also established a special unit in the Townsend Street office consisting solely of deciding officers. They will take claims from throughout the country and work very quickly through them to try to ensure people with claims can receive them before Christmas. We are targeting claims for jobseeker's allowance and benefit.

The jobseeker's benefit never takes as long because it is directly related to people having paid their social insurance stamps. The jobseeker's allowance, because it is a means tested payment, can take longer. We are very conscious of it and hope the extra staff in the special unit will help to expedite issues.

On the question asked by Senator Norris on potential fraud, there was anecdotal evidence some months ago that this was happening. To combat that, rather than having people sign on once a month and have their payment paid electronically through their bank and not have to collect it in person, I decided people could sign on once a month but had to collect their payment in the post office every week. The measure applied to new claimants and we are satisfied it has cut down substantially on any potential fraud. It is something we must keep under close control.