Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the serious backlogs in the family income supplement section; her views that these backlogs are having a serious negative effect on those persons trying to return to employment and who are left worse off for a period of up to 20 weeks after starting new employment; the efforts she is taking to deal with this backlog so that all applications will be processed before Christmas to ensure that families waiting on a decision will not be without their payment for Christmas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36474/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. The average waiting time for new family income supplement (FIS) claims at the end of October is 20 weeks. The waiting time for renewal FIS claims is currently between 10 – 11 weeks. At the end of October, there were approximately 8,679 new FIS applications and approximately 5,113 renewal applications awaiting approval.

The volume of FIS claims on hands and the delays in processing are a consequence of continued strong claim intake. The Department has introduced a number of measures to address the efficiency of claim processing for FIS in light of the current waiting times:

· Existing processes and procedures are reviewed on an ongoing basis with the explicit objective of reducing delays in claim processing;

· Priority is being given to renewal claims to preserve continuity of payment;

· The ongoing staffing requirement is being kept under review in light of the continued strong claim intake;

· Additional temporary staff have been recruited to help reduce the backlog;

· Overtime working is being applied where feasible;

These measures are aimed at reducing the number of claims on hand and the average waiting time for a decision. The position is being closely monitored and kept under review by the Department.