Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

The reason I raise this issue, and it is a concern for all Deputies, is the fact that there is an average waiting period of far longer than 28 weeks - it is probably 32 or 34 weeks - for decisions on carer's allowance. Increasingly, my office has found, and I am sure it is the case for other Deputies, that some people have passed away in the course of the application process. That is a very unfair and traumatic situation for families. There was another such occurrence last Friday. It is happening on a regular basis. Can the Minister give a time scale for clearing this huge backlog? With regard to family members, I accept that the new family member or carer will have to be assessed. Currently, however, not only is the new family member being assessed, but also the person being cared for is medically assessed again. In many cases these are people in their late 70s, 80s and 90s. Most, if not all, of these people are certainly not improving in health.

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