Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Where does that process stand? I take it that it will be for new applicants. The Department will have to give people an explanation as to how to work the new form. Those who have been used to ticking a box will now find themselves having to state their cases and write essays, as it were. They will need help. It is a good system and I have helped many people with their domiciliary care allowance applications, documenting what they do from the moment they wake up right through the day. It is the same for elderly people, who must set out their living circumstances. I imagine that the assessment process will take more time, given the volume of information about the persons being cared for, where they live, how many hours of care are provided and so on that will have to be read. Why has the Department come to this decision and will it be a good thing?