Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some people, whose social welfare benefits have been cut, have to wait over three months for their appeal to be heard by the social welfare appeals office. [10986/06]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average time a social welfare appeal takes to be heard; and if he is satisfied with that length of time. [10990/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 130 together.

The average length of time taken to deal with appeals by the social welfare appeals office in 2005 was 20 weeks. If allowance is made for the 25% most protracted cases, the average time falls to 13 weeks. The processing time for appeals covers all phases of the appeal process, including the submission by the Department's deciding officers' comments on the grounds for the appeal, further examinations by the Department's medical assessors in certain sickness related cases and the holding of oral hearings, which are currently afforded in two out of every three cases determined by appeals officers.

Circumstances can arise, normally outside of the control of the appeals office, which can have the effect of unduly prolonging the time taken to process appeals. Delays, for example, can occur where the appellant furnishes new evidence which requires investigation at a late stage in the proceedings or where an adjournment may be sought by the appellant or his or her representatives. The social welfare appeals office deals with about 14,000 appeals on an annual basis and the provision of a prompt service remains a major customer service objective of the office.

The nature of the service provided is quasi-judicial and the procedures in place for determining appeals are designed to ensure that each case receives full and satisfactory consideration. Consequently, improvements in processing times must be achieved in a manner which is consistent with justice being seen to be done and the need to ensure that every appeal is fully investigated and determined on all its circumstances.