Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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470. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision has been made on an appeal for disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8289/23]

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.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a Disability Allowance appeal by the person concerned was received in that Office on 11 December 2022. The appeal was registered on 09 January 2023. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought and these documents have been requested. When received from the Department the case will be referred promptly to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral appeal hearing.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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471. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for the inordinate delay in processing an appeal for a domiciliary care allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8306/23]

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.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 August 2022. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were returned to the Appeals Office on 03 October 2022 and referred on 28 October 2022 to an Appeals Officer, who having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 13 February 2023.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.