Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has been making efforts to simplify the forms and to improve the response times. She has reported some progress on both, although she has acknowledged that the waiting time continues to be very long. The Department will continue to bring that time down. Extra resources have been put in to manage that. From dealing with this issue I am conscious, as are most Deputies, that the application is complex. Not only is there a means test but there are also a health test and an assessment of the applicants, their working patterns, and the distance they live from the person for whom they care. We have created a very complex provision and it does create difficulties for both applicants and those processing applications. I hope the efforts to simplify the process are successful. I recognise the difficulty the Deputy raises.

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