Written answers

Tuesday, 9 November 2010

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Appeals

9:00 am

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 303: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in considering an appeal on behalf of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 and if he will ensure that this appeal is processed as soon as possible [41543/10]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 07 July 2010. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received back in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 21 October 2010 and the appeal will be referred in due course to an Appeals Officer who will decide whether the case can be decided on a summary basis or whether to list it for oral hearing.

There was a 46% increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office in 2009 when compared to 2008, which in itself was 27% greater than the numbers received in 2007. There was an increase of a further 44% in the number of appeals received in the first eight months of 2010. These increases have caused delays in the processing of appeals. In order to be fair to all appellants, oral hearings are arranged in strict chronological order.

A number of initiatives have been put in place to enhance the capacity of the office to deal with the current caseload and inflows. In that regard:

· 3 additional Appeals Officers have been assigned to that Office since January 2009,

· A number of additional staff were assigned to the administration area of the Office,

· The organisation of the Appeals Officer's work has been changed so as to increase productivity,

· A project to improve the business processes in the office was undertaken which has resulted in a number of improvements being implemented, and

· Significant enhancements have been made to the office's IT and phone systems.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.

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