Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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227. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the length of time a domiciliary care application by a person (details supplied) has been pending; when a decision will issue; the efforts that are being made to reduce the waiting time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42144/24]

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 registered in that office on 30th January 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. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 2nd July 2024.

The appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 8th July 2024, who having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.

Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to improvements in the appeal process in recent years. There is active engagement between the Appeals Office and my Department to ensure that the appeals process operates efficiently. Improvements in appeals processing times are a priority for the Chief Appeals Officer.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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228. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the length of time the carer’s allowance application for a person (details supplied) has been pending; how much longer before they can expect a decision; the efforts being made to reduce the waiting time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42158/24]

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 registered in that office on 4th June 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. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 11th June 2024 and 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.

Significant efforts and resources have been devoted to improvements in the appeal process in recent years. There is active engagement between the Appeals Office and the Department to ensure that the appeals process operates efficiently so that the appeal file is provided as quickly as possible to the Appeals Office for consideration by an Appeals Officer. The desire to process appeals quickly has to be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and of high quality and made in accordance with the legislative provisions and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice. Improvements in appeals processing times are a priority for the Chief Appeals Officer.

An Appeals Modernisation Project is currently underway. The key features of the project are:

(1) introduce a new IT system for more efficient end to end processing of appeals. This system went live in November 2023.

(2) Provide and online service for appellants to make their appeals via the MyWelfare platform. This function went live in August 2024.

(3) Business process improvements within the appeals office to improve customer service and processing times. A number of initiatives are currently underway in this regard

In 2023 the average time taken to process an appeal was 16.0 weeks (14.9 weeks in 2022). The average processing time for an appeal dealt with summarily in 2023 was 17.6 weeks (15 weeks in 2022). The average processing time for an appeal that included an oral hearing was 29.2 weeks (26 weeks in 2022).

As part of this project a new IT system went live on the 6th November 2023. A new online service for appellants became available in August 2024 and a number of internal initiatives are being undertake under the direction of the Chief Appeals Officer to improve ways of working within the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

Already the modernisation project has contributed to a reduction in the time taken to register and acknowledge appeals lodged with the Appeals Office and this, in time, will also reduce the overall processing times for appeals.

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

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.