Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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400. To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an application for invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; if she will provide details on the number of applications for invalidity pension that are currently awaiting medical assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19116/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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There are currently (on 22/04/13) 1,015 invalidity pension claim applications awaiting assessment. Some backlogs have arisen for assessment of invalidity claims due to increased work load and to a shortage of Medical Assessors due to retirements. The Department is committed to ensuring that the claims are examined as expeditiously as possible. It is hoped that an additional four medical Assessors will be recruited in the near future.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 22 August 2012. 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 10 April 2013 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing. 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.