Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting lists for welfare claims in her Department; the measures she has taken to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28067/12]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 139: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the current average processing times for applications across all schemes and the same for 2011; and the steps she is taking to reduce same. [28051/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 139 together.

The Department is committed to ensuring that claims are processed as expeditiously as possible. As can be seen from the data in the table below (showing processing times for 2011 and for April 2012) which I will make available to the House, schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness related schemes, can take longer to process. Similarly, means tested payments can also require more detailed investigation and interaction with the applicant, thereby lengthening the decision making process.

As part of the Department's programme of service delivery modernisation, a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology, have been implemented in recent years. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised.

In addition, the staffing needs of the Department are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources. The Department will continue to source available staff to fill critical vacancies by way of redeployment, or transfer from within the Department and other Government Departments, taking account of the employment control framework (ECF) target, as determined by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

I wish to assure the Deputies that prompt processing of claims remains a priority for me.

Table 1: Claim processing target times and performance, 2011 & April 2012: