Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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654. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his proposals to ensure that applicants for working age social welfare payments are not unduly refused upon their initial applications, arising from the significant number of those who are currently successful upon appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51759/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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In establishing a person’s entitlement to a social welfare payment, including a working age social welfare payment, each claim is examined in line with the statutory qualifying conditions for the scheme and the information provided by the person in support of their claim. Claim decisions made by the Department’s Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer.

When a person appeals a decision, the Department may review the decision in light of the appeal contentions and any additional or new information provided by the person. The original decision is revised in favour of the appellant in a significant proportion of cases on consideration by the Department of the additional and/or new information.

In many instances, particularly with decisions relating to medical schemes, the appellant makes an early claim to establish an entitlement date as soon as they are diagnosed and while they are still awaiting detailed consultant reports. They then provide the additional reports as part of the appeals process. Again this additional information often results in the case being successful upon appeal, or on review by the Department.

The Department continues to encourage and support people to provide all information relative to their application as early in the process as possible.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.