Marie Moloney (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the sentiment of the recommendation but I disagree for a number of reasons with stating a time. I have dealt with the appeals office and found on numerous occasions that the office was not waiting for documents from the client but it was the case that the Department of Social Welfare had not returned a file to the appeals office. The appeals office had written, I had been on to them about the matter, and they had also sent reminders to the Department. It is the process in the Department that needs to be tightened up.

The Minister has appointed a number of new appeals officers and I am sure the Minister of State will update us on what their appointment has done for the appeals system. If an appeal goes straight to the appeals office and the office feels the Department can deal with the case better than it can, the case is sent back for a review which is a much quicker option than an appeal. The problem is a lot of the time the right medical evidence is not submitted with medical application-based appeals. The delay is within the Department.

The Senators are right that we should communicate more, and let me explain why. It is okay if I ring up and the appeals office says it has not got the file back from the Department in Killarney, Galway or wherever the case may be, but the client should be told that the appeals office is still waiting for a file from the Department. It is the Department that must tighten up more than the appeals office. Will the Minister of State update Members on the impact of the appointment of new appeals officers on the length of time taken for appeals? I have found that some appeals have become a bit quicker to issue.