John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1812. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the timeframe for new applications received in 2025 to date for exceptional needs payments in Wicklow; the current processing timeframes for new applications, broken down by wait time from the date that the application was received until a decision was reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41990/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet expenses that an eligible person cannot pay from their weekly income and personal or household. The ANP scheme is demand led and administered by Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in the Community Welfare Service (CWS), taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

Work on hand in Wicklow CWS for ANPs is within the scheme's normal processing levels and fully completed applications, where the required documentation is supplied, are generally processed and paid within ten working days. Where it is clear that a person has an urgent or immediate need, every effort is made to ensure that the claim is expedited and processed on the same day. CWOs are very experienced and assess when a case is so urgent that it requires an immediate response.

When considering an application from people in financial difficulty for any payment under the SWA scheme, the CWO must consider all of the relevant circumstances when examining a case in determining the most appropriate scheme type and level of assistance required. The CWO may ask for a number of supporting documents to ensure the customer receives a level of payment appropriate to their needs. Where an application cannot be finalised promptly, the delay is normally due to the need for additional information or documentation and the time it takes for the information to be provided. Upon receipt of this information, the application is then processed quickly.

The CWS is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. If the Deputy is aware of any customer who is currently experiencing delays, he can forward the details to my Department and my officials will investigate accordingly.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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1813. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current average processing time for disability allowance claims. [42005/25]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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1814. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps he is taking to reduce the waiting times for disability allowance payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42006/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1813 and 1814 together.

My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all customers, ensuring that claims are processed as quickly as possible and that backlogs are kept to a minimum.

Processing times for new applications vary across schemes, depending on the differing qualification criteria. Schemes that require a high level of documentary evidence from the customer, particularly in the case of illness-related schemes, can take longer to process.

The processing target for the Disability Allowance scheme is to award 75% of applications within 10 weeks. Currently this target is exceeded with 90% achieved and the average number of weeks to award a DA claim in July 2025 is 6 weeks.

Operational processes, procedures, and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised. My Department consistently strives to enhance processing time targets and are continually reviewing processes to deliver optimal customer service.