Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting time for appeals for persons who were on illness benefit and were refused invalidity or disability allowance when their two years were up; in view of the fact that persons often have to pay for medication, her views that this timeframe is acceptable; the measures she intends to implement to ensure a reasonable waiting time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40628/11]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in dealing with cases in the social welfare appeals office; the average timescale for dealing with appeal applications; if her attention has been drawn to the hardship that can arise form such delays; if she has any proposals to expedite the hearing of appeals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40562/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 184 together.

I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that, based on 2010 figures the average processing times for all appeals dealt with by way of summary decision was 27.4 weeks while cases which required an oral hearing took , on average, 45.6 weeks. In the case of illness benefit, invalidity pensions and disability allowance the average times for all appeals were 39.2/56.4, 40.9/59.7 and 30.8/51 respectively. There are no separate figures maintained which identify appeals where persons who were on illness benefit were refused invalidity pension or disability allowance when their two years were up.

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 appellant and any further investigation and examination or assessment by the Department's Inspectors and Medical Assessors where 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, 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.