Book review: Continuity and Change in the Welfare State: Social Security in the Republic of Ireland
| Published date | 01 September 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/1388262720945402 |
| Author | Ciara Fitzpatrick |
| Date | 01 September 2020 |
| Subject Matter | Book reviews |
complaints against negative decisions than women and that persons who are older than 50 years are
clearly overrepresented in court cases. Their findings suggest that about half of the claimants are
represented by a lawyer, as in preliminary proceedings.
Krausbeck then goes into detail about the composition as wel l as the internal structure of
Opposition Committees. She comes to the conclusion that there are substantial differences in the
course of the meetings and the composition of the Objection Committees between the respective
insurance carriers. These differences are most probably created by the great scope when determin-
ing the statutes and rules of procedure.
Adler compares the German Objection Committees with the corresponding bodies in the United
Kingdom. Since 2013, there has also been an opportunity for internal administrative review. A prelim-
inary procedure by a remote dispute resolution team is mandatory in the UK as well. Adler concludes that
the preliminary proceedings in the UK act as a filter, similar to the German social security system.
The more than 200-page book concludes with a summary of the results. Generally speaking, the
preliminary procedure fulfils its tasks and the Objection Committees are of great practical impor-
tance, despite their low degree of public recognition. The members of the Opposition Committees
represent a self-confident, responsible body capable of monitoring legality and expedi ency of
administrative decisions.
The focus of the study was on surveys with members of the Objection Committees and judges.
Hence, the non-inclusion of the appellants in this study presents a major gap, since it could have
provided insights on why appeals are withdrawn or otherwise settled, why there are decision to not
to file action and whether there is a need to attend the appeal meeting in the appellants opinion.
Still this first-of-its-kind in-depth empirical research study on Objection Committees in the
German social insurance system is a su ccess and offers the reader a first sta rting point on a
thoroughly exciting and important topic. This study, which is written in German, examines a
specific issue of German social insurance . It is of general value for readers interested in the
administrative procedures and might initiate further research - on a comparative basis - in this area.
Author biography
Carolin Duda is a PhD student at the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer/
Germany. In her research, she focusses mainly on the concept of self-administration in the stat-
utory health insurance. Besides her academic pursuit, she works as a lawyer.
duda@uni-speyer.de
Anthony McCashin, Continuity and Change in the Welfare State: Social Security in the Republic of Ireland,
Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 282 pages, 2019, ISBN 978-3-319-96778-3.
Reviewed by: Ciara Fitzpatrick, Ulster University, UK.
DOI: 10.1177/1388262720945402
Anthony McCashin’s Continuity and Change in the Welfare State: Social Security in the Republic
of Ireland is a commanding and intricate account of the development of the social security system
Book reviews 361
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