Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when she expects to have backlogs in respect of applications for various payments from her Department cleared; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36656/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Processing times vary across schemes because of the volume of applications and the differing qualification criteria. For example, means assessments are required for all social assistance schemes, medical examinations are required for some of the illness related schemes and customers must also satisfy the habitual residence conditions. In the case of insurance based schemes, it may be necessary to ascertain details of foreign insurance records.

The Department is committed to delivering the best possible service to its customers. To this end, operational processes and procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed in all areas of the Department. These reviews are supported by modern technology, the potential of which is continuously harnessed. Claims are processed in the most efficient and expeditious way possible, having regard to the eligibility conditions that apply to each scheme. Since May 2008, through redeployment and the allocation of additional posts, some 900 staff have been assigned to the Department to fill critical vacancies and deal with the increased volume of claims.

Over the past ten years the Department has been involved in a major service delivery modernisation project to improve the efficiency with which it processes claims. The project involves the development of new IT functionality and associated business process re-organisation. This new system is up and running in Child Benefit, State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Transition), State Pension (Non-Contributory), Widow's, Widower's and Civil Partnership Pensions, Bereavement Grant, Domiciliary Care, Free Travel and Household Benefits. In May 2011, the system was implemented for Invalidity Pensions and Carer's Allowance Scheme in August 2011. It is anticipated that the new system will introduce significant processing efficiencies and a quicker and more responsive service to customers on these schemes, in line with efficiencies gained in the other schemes where the initiative has already been implemented.

It should also be noted that many factors outside the Department's control can impact upon claim processing times e.g. the supply of relevant information by the customer, employers or other third parties.