Fianna Fáil Senator Averil Power said it was "extraordinarily unfair" to have people waiting between six and eight months for a decision on social welfare entitlements.

“I have cases of this happening where people sought the carer’s allowance, disability allowance and invalidity pension,” she said. “These people are really sick, but they have had to wait this length of time to hear the result of an appeal.”

Ms Power, who was speaking during the committee stage debate of the Social Welfare and Pensions (No 2) Bill, said there was a sense the Government hoped for attrition by pushing out the timeframe.

“People have often said to me that the Government must hope 10 per cent will drop out of the process due to getting fed up with the requests for extra information. People get exhausted by delays, particularly when ill and in receipt of an illness payment or where they have a serious disability.”

Paschal Mooney (FF) said the question of appeals had been a main area of controversy, particularly for public representatives who had been struggling with an extremely bureaucratic system for some time.

“In the context of the Government’s reforming zeal in recent years,” he said, “I would have thought there would have been more success in the area.”

Minister of State Kevin Humphreys said the system was flexible because, at every stage, it was open to the client to give additional information.

Up to 15 additional appeals officers had been appointed, he said. “I acknowledge that during the period from 2010 to early 2013, there was an unacceptable delay in the appeals process due to a dramatic and unprecedented increase in appeals numbers, which placed considerable pressure on officers.”