Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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258. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a decision on an invalidity appeal applied for one year ago; and the reason for the delay from the time of the original application to the appeals decision. [25670/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29 January 2019, following the outcome of a review dated 4 January 2019 by a Deciding Officer of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 12 April 2019. The appeal was referred on 3 May 2019 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 Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.