There needs to be an improvement in the assessment system for social welfare applicants.
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Willie O'Dea, says a high level of successful appeals shows the initial application process is flawed.
New figures reveal 58 percent of all appeals in the first eleven months of 2018 were successful.
Willie O'Dea says the time and effort being put into the appeals process would be better used helping those applying for social welfare.
"If you had a judge, say in the District Court or the Circuit Court or whatever, and 58% of his decisions were being overturned consistently by the higher court you'd reckon that there was a problem. There is a problem here," he said.
"The appeals officer decides that the person is entitled to the benefit. It takes about six months at least, maybe more, for the appeals office to make a decision.
"That's six or seven months that somebody is deprived of a benefit which legally they should be getting."
