Written answers

Thursday, 26 January 2012

Department of Social Protection

Social Welfare Appeals

5:00 pm

Photo of Catherine MurphyCatherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the average number of weeks it is currently taking to register a social welfare appeal; the average time it is taking to allocate an appeal to an inspector; the average time it is taking to decide the appeal; the average time it is taking to decide the appeal in cases in which there is an oral hearing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4332/12]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I am informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that figures are not available as to the average time taken to register an appeal, such time being subject to the numbers of appeals to the Office at any given time. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. In that regard, the average length of time for this process in 2011 was 13.7 weeks.

On their return to the Social Welfare Appeals Office, files are prepared for vetting before being assigned to an Appeals Officer who will either decide the case summarily or schedule it for an oral hearing. While there are no figures for the average time it takes to allocate a file to an Appeals Officer, the average time for the finalisation of an appeal following the return of a file from the Department in 2011 was 11.4 weeks in the case of summary decisions and 38.8 weeks following oral hearings.

In an effort to reduce the processing times, the Department appointed 9 additional Appeals Officers during 2011 that augmented the 3 appointments made to the Office in 2010. In addition, a further 10 Appeals Officers, formerly employed by the Community Welfare Services (CWS) of the Health Services Executive joined the Office as part of the integration of the CWS appeals services into the Social Welfare Appeals Office. This brings the total number of Appeals Officers to 39.

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.

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