The Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed (INOU) has called on the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, to introduce an independent appeals structure for people disputing their entitlements under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme.
Mr Des Bonass, INOU vice chairman, said yesterday that under the present system a person who wished to appeal a decision by their community welfare officer, a health board employee, had to take the appeal to another health board employee. "It is crucial that the Minister now puts in place the independent appeals structure which has long been promised."