Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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1390.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current waiting times at the Appeals Office; if additional resources will be allocated to it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33328/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.

The average waiting time for an appeal in 2023 was 16 weeks.

An Appeals Modernisation Project is currently underway and a new appeals IT system supporting business processes was introduced in November 2023. The second phase, including the introduction of an online appeals application process on the MyWelfare platform, will be implemented shortly. The new system has already significantly reduced the time taken to register and acknowledge appeals received and will, in time, have a positive impact on the overall average processing times. A number of internal initiatives are also being undertaken under the direction of the Chief Appeals Officer to improve the efficiency of processes within the Office.

There is active engagement between the Appeals Office and my Department to ensure that the appeals process operates as efficiently as possible and, where the Deciding Officer's decision is not revised in favour of the appellant, the relevant files are provided as promptly as possible for consideration by an Appeals Officer.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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1391.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision can issue on an appeal for a person in County Mayo (details supplied), given their very serious medical diagnosis, financial situation and hardship that is being caused to them without this payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33340/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was received in that Office on 16 May 2024. 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 Social Protection.

When these papers have been received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office, the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.