Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 288: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the delays in providing dates and locations for oral hearings for appeals of social welfare claims; the reason for the delay in same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22096/08]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 289: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the average waiting time for oral hearings of appeals for social welfare payment types; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22097/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together.

The social welfare appeals system is quasi-judicial and the procedures involved are, by virtue of that fact, designed to ensure that every appellant gets full and satisfactory consideration.

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that oral hearings are granted at the discretion of the Appeals Officer usually in circumstances where there is a conflict in evidence presented by the parties to the appeal or where an oral hearing is requested by the appellant in order to present his or her case. During 2007, the average time taken to process such appeals was in the order of 30 weeks.

The processing time for appeals covers all phases of the appeal process including the submission by my Department of its comments on the grounds for the appeal, further examination by my Department's Medical Assessors in certain sickness related cases, the arranging and holding of the hearings and the investigation of further issues which may arise during the course of the oral hearing. Oral hearings are held every week at venues around the country as convenient as possible to the appellant. The selection of locations to be visited is based on the number of appeals on hand in a particular area in a given week. In general, those who are waiting longest can expect to be scheduled for hearing when next an Appeals Officer is in the area. A small number of cases are given priority when exceptional circumstances arise.

Improving processing times of all aspects of the appeals process is a major objective of the Social Welfare Appeals Office. However, it is necessary at all times to ensure that progress in this regard is achieved in a manner which is not in conflict with the demands of natural justice and the requirement that every appeal be fully investigated and examined on all its merits.