Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that the waiting list for appeal hearings in disability allowance applications is 14 months; the plans in place to reduce the waiting time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39456/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, based on 2010 figures, the average time taken for a case which requires an oral hearing is 51.1 weeks. These processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation and include all activities during this period including time spent in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the processing time for Disability Allowance dealt with by way of summary decision is 30.8 weeks appellant and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department's Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is deemed necessary. A considerable period of time is added to the process when an oral hearing is required because of the logistics involved in this process.

I am assured by the Chief Appeals Officer that she is keeping the methods of operation by which the Social Welfare Appeals Office conducts its business under constant review, and that the processes are continuously being enhanced to reduce the backlogs in the Office and, overall, to reduce the processing times for dealing with appeals. In that regard, as a result of various initiatives, including the assignment of 9 additional Appeals Officers from April, taken over the past 12 months, 22,406 decisions were made by appeals officers in the first eleven months of 2011, in comparison to 16,232 for the same period in 2010.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 205: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a decision on an appeal of a jobseeker's rate has been made in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39458/11]

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 01 December 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.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an invalidity pension appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39464/11]

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 August 2011. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 02 December 2011 and the appeal will, in due course, be assigned 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.