more than 63,000 unemployed people were awaiting a decision on their entitlement to dole payments last month.


New figures show the single largest delays were in Edenderry, located in Taoiseach Brian Cowen's native Offaly, where applicants faced delays of up to four months in processing their claims.


In an indication of a system still struggling to keep up with demand, individuals seeking one-parent family payments were also facing delays of up to 37 weeks ? or more than nine months.


The figures, released by Minister for Social and Family Affairs Mary Hanafin, come despite recent initiatives aimed at speeding up decisions on claims.


Commenting on the figures, Hanafin acknowledged that processing times in some areas were "still too long".


According to statistics for last month, the average processing times for dole claims decided in September was 3.63 weeks for jobseeker's benefit ? which is based on PRSI contributions ? and 7.53 weeks for the means-tested jobseeker's allowance.


But these waiting times mask significant variations at social welfare offices around the country, with the longest delays among those seeking to access jobseeker's allowance.


The figures reveal that applicants for this allowance faced average processing times of more than 16 weeks in Edenderry.


While this wait is a decrease from 22 weeks previously, it represents the single largest delay for such payments recorded among social welfare offices around the country. As a result, it is likely to prove politically embarrassing to Cowen.


Average processing times of 12-15 weeks were also recorded in offices located in Ardee, Bandon, Boyle, Castlepollard, Clonakilty, Enniscorthy, Kinsale, Loughrea, Navan, Tuam and Tullow.


By comparison, applicants for jobseeker's allowance faced delays of less than
a week in Achill, Co Clare, and Manorhamilton in Leitrim.


Overall, the figures also reveal that 63, 805 claims for dole payments were "pending" last month.


Some 46,000 of these claims related to jobseeker's allowance, while more than 16,600 related to jobseeker's benefit.