Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

617. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is aware of delays in postal deliveries and if discretion is exercised in these circumstances to time-limited requests for information from persons i.e. where a person is given ten working days to respond but only receives the letter a number of days after it is posted. [38803/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Department is unaware of any current delays in postal deliveries.

Deciding Officers operate independently in their decision-making and are required to apply the provisions of social welfare legislation. Persons requested to provide information within statutory timelines or time periods must do so.

A person may be required to furnish information for the purposes of determining a claim or in support of an application on or before a specified date. A Deciding Officer, in setting timelines for the provision of information, will have reasonable regard to matters such as postal service delivery times, collection, and return of the required information. Where difficulties arise, Deciding Officers may exercise discretion based on the specific circumstances and on a case-by-case basis.

Where additional information is provided after a decision has been made, a Deciding Officer may revise that decision at any time where an error was made regarding the law or facts, or where new evidence or facts has come to light since the date on which the original decision was made. Every claimant is entitled to have their claim considered in the context of determinations of entitlement under the relevant social welfare legislation and in accordance with the principles of natural justice.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.