Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for providing the information. I am somewhat reassured by his continuing commitment and that of the Department to try to reduce the appeal time. I am interested to know whether the appointment of the 15 new appeals officers is coming from within the Department or if they are new employees. I am aware that a public service embargo is in place. I ask the Minister of State to correct me if I am wrong but I understand from recent comments by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform that there has been a loosening of the public service embargo in the sense that where there is a real need within Departments it will be addressed. It would appear that if one is taking 15 people out of one area of the Department and moving them to another, one has to make up the gap. Perhaps he would clarify that issue.

It would be helpful if the Department's press office was to issue, say, quarterly updates of the nature the Minister of State has provided here to reassure the general populace. Irrespective of all the good work he has outlined - I will not be critical of it - why is it that there is still a continuing flow of people to constituency clinics who have a problem with the appeals process? Given what the Minister of State has said and the complexities surrounding the appeals process, to ensure fairness and equity, because, as he correctly pointed out there is a quasi-judicial aspect to this also, perhaps the issue is about communication. I do not have the answer but if there is some way of communicating to the general public about an issue which, on an individual basis, is probably very painful for people who are waiting in certain categories, it might help to assuage them in some way. Perhaps it could be done through a structure for Deputies and Senators. I thank the Minister of State for the information he has provided.