Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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446. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of social welfare appeals determined on a weekly basis; the number of appeals that arise each week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5775/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I am advised by the Chief Appeals Officer that in 2020, 23,664 appeals were registered and 26,790 were finalised.  Of those finalised, 20,520 were decided by Appeals Officers, 5,204 were revised decisions made by my Department in favour of the appellant and 1,066 appeals were withdrawn.

The corresponding figures for 2019 were 22,397 appeals registered and 22,572 finalised.  Of those finalized, 16,594 were decided by Appeals Officers, 4,669 were revised decisions made by my Department in favour of the appellant and 1,309 were withdrawn.

The number of appeals on hand at the end of 2020 was 5,662.  This compares with 8,788 in 2019.  The number of appeals on hand at the end of January 2021 was 5,305.

The attached table sets out the number of appeals registered and finalised in 2020 and for January 2021 and the average weekly statistics for both.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.