Social Welfare Act, 1997

Appeals to Circuit Court.

34.—The Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion after section 253 of the following section:

“Appeals to Circuit Court.

253A.—(1) Whenever a person has appealed a decision of a deciding officer then, where the Chief Appeals Officer certifies that the ordinary appeals procedures set out in this Chapter are inadequate to secure the effective processing of such appeal, the Chief Appeals Officer shall cause a direction to be issued to the person who has submitted the appeal directing him or her to submit the appeal to the Circuit Court and the Circuit Court may, on hearing the appeal as it thinks proper, affirm the decision or substitute the decision of the deciding officer in accordance with this Act and upon the same evidence as would otherwise be available to the Appeals Officer.

(2) The appellant shall give notice of the appeal as submitted to the Circuit Court to the deciding officer.

(3) No appeal shall lie from a decision of the Circuit Court on an appeal under this section.”.