John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if payment of social welfare benefit will be restored in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny and if supplementary allowance will be paid while they are waiting for the matter to be resolved. [17841/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the jobseeker's allowance appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case.

A supplementary welfare allowance appeal, by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 08 June 2011 and will, in due course, be referred 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.

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.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a claim for arrears of child benefit has been resolved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny and if the matter will be finalised soon in view of the original date of the claim. [17842/11]

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.