John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 229 of 27 September 2011, when this will case will be reviewed by a medical assessor as stated in the reply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31656/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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This application was reviewed by one of the Department's Medical Assessors on 24th October 2011, who found that the child was not medically eligible for Domiciliary Care Allowance. The appeal file is currently being prepared for the Social Welfare Appeals Office and will shortly be forwarded for their consideration.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 63: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an appeal for domiciliary care in respect of a person (details supplied). [31667/11]

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 applicants, they are dealt with in strict chronological order. In the context of dealing with the considerable number of appeals now on hand, the Department made 9 additional appointments to the office earlier this year. 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.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 64: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when an appeal will be heard in respect of a maternity benefit claim (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31673/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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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 23 September 2011. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Social Welfare Services on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the appeal in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer for consideration.

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.