Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am very happy to be able to address the Senator's concern. The issue arises regularly in our constituency offices.

I assure the Senator that the prompt processing of applications remains a priority for the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Each scheme area is continually monitored and reviewed to ensure customers are responded to as quickly as possible, and their applications are processed as expeditiously as possible.

Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means-tested payments can also require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision-making process. Delays can also arise where information is required from social security organisations in other jurisdictions and where additional information has been requested from the applicant but remains outstanding. This means that processing times vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. For example, in December 2017, it took on average one week to award a jobseeker's benefit payment, which is based on social insurance contributions, but two weeks to award a jobseeker's allowance payment, which is means-tested. In the same month, it took on average ten weeks to award an application for carer's benefit, which is based on a medical assessment as to care requirements, an assessment of the level of care being provided and social insurance contributions, whereas it took an average 17 weeks to award an application for carer's allowance, which has similar medical and care provision conditionality but which is means-tested.

As part of the Department's programme of service delivery modernisation, a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology, have been implemented in recent years. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure processing capability is maximised. For example, staff have been reassigned within the carer's allowance area to work on claims processing, and it is expected that this will improve the processing times for this scheme over the coming weeks.

The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continually reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department.

As with all Departments and agencies, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff numbers. Reducing waiting times is a key priority. With this in mind, the Department will continue to prioritise efficient turnaround times of applications and for the filling of critical posts.