Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not sure if the Deputy was here last week for Oral Questions, but we have extended considerable new resources to look at carer's benefit and carer's allowance payments. We have reduced the waiting period from 19 weeks last year, which was wholly unacceptable, to 14 weeks this year. That is the direct result of the allocation of extra staff resources to the Department and of the new form we worked hard on in conjunction with the Irish Carers' Association to simplify the process. The fact remains, however, that it is a medically assessed scheme and it is a different matter to apply to it than to apply to some of our other schemes. A great deal of the information we require is medically difficult to ascertain and adjudicate on and that is why it takes a long time. However, we have reduced the waiting time from 19 to 14 weeks and will not be happy until we reach the target of 12 weeks.

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