Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the measures has she taken to address the unacceptable waiting lists for invalidity pension applications; the timeframe to process these applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56586/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The processing times of individual invalidity pension claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the qualifying criteria. In addition, factors outside the Department’s control can have an impact, for example, insufficient information received from claimants at time of application and delays in claimants furnishing the information requested.

At present approximately 220 new invalidity pension claims are received in the Department each week and these are examined within a short time after receipt. Where a medical assessment and/or further information are required, these are requested without delay.

Additional temporary staff was assigned to the invalidity pension area in an effort to deal with the backlog which has been reducing steadily since June 2012. The number of invalidity pension claims awaiting action and decision at the end of May 2012 was 7007 – this has reduced to 3673 at the end of November 2012 and presently all of these claims have been actioned by my department and are awaiting further information from customers or a medical assessment. It should also be noted that this number includes approximately 900 claims which are being assessed under EU or bilateral arrangements and that such claims are more complex and take longer to decide. Once all the necessary information is received, the claim will be processed promptly, usually within two weeks.