Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on an application for rent allowance will issue in respect of a person (details supplied). [13024/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised that it has refused an application for rent supplement from the person concerned on the grounds that the amount of rent payable was in excess of the prescribed rent limit of €94 per week for a single person. The decision has been appealed to the HSE's designated Appeals Officer and a decision on entitlement will be made in due course. The HSE has further advised that, as an exceptional measure due to the customer's medical condition, it is willing to award a rent supplement in this case provided the person concerned secures alternative accommodation for under €110 per week. The person concerned has been advised of this position.

Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 115: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason an appeal for jobseeker's allowance has not been dealt with in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway. [12896/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case. There has been a very significant increase in the number of appeals received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2007 when the intake was 14,070 to 2010 when the intake rose to 32,432. This has significantly impacted on the processing time for appeals which require oral hearings and, in order to be fair to all appellants, they are dealt with in strict chronological order. In the context of dealing with the considerable number of appeals now on hand, the Department has made a further 9 additional appointments to the office in recent weeks.

While every effort is being made to deal with the large numbers awaiting oral hearing as quickly as possible, it is not possible to give a date when the person's oral hearing will be heard, but s/he will be informed when arrangements have been made. 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.