Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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145. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the average length of time taken to process appeals for means-tested or health-related social welfare payments in each of the past three years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19392/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The average time taken to process appeals for means-tested or health-related social welfare payments in each of the past three years to date is given in the following Table. These processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. They 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, examination or assessment by the Department’s Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is 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. By its nature and because it is a quasi-judicial nature, the processing of appeals takes time even at the best of times and reflects the fact that, by definition, the appeal process cannot be a quick one.

Table: Average Processing Times of Appeals 2010-2012