Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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7. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his views on the fact that only 2% of applications for the domiciliary care allowance were awarded within the standard timeframe in 2015 and that only 32% of applications for the carer's allowance were awarded within the standard timeframe in 2015; his views on the processing and appeals times for social protection payments in general; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18690/16]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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In recent years, the waiting times for the processing of applications for basic social welfare benefits have been gradually reduced. This trend seems to have halted and, in some cases, reversed. I want the Minister of State to address this.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy for his very important question. I am very well aware of the important work carers do. I am also very conscious of the need to have applications for carer's allowance, CA, and domiciliary care allowance, DCA, processed as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, there are delays in the processing of these applications. Both schemes have seen a considerable increase in applications in recent years. Applications for DCA in 2015 were 33% higher than in 2013. Applications for carer's allowance in 2015 were 25% higher than in 2013. These increases, together with the need to introduce new revised decision-making processes in early 2014, to demonstrate compliance with a High Court decision, have impacted on the volumes of applications processed within the set target.

Reducing these waiting times is a priority for the Department and we are working very hard to make this happen. As part of its programme of service delivery modernisation, a range of initiatives aimed at streamlining the processing of claims, supported by modern technology, have been implemented by the Department in recent years. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure processing capability is maximised.

In addition, staffing needs are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure the best use is made of all available resources. Where additional staffing is deployed to a scheme, such as has happened for carer's allowance, there is a time lag involved while those staff are trained and build up expertise. The Department expects the current delays to be significantly reduced in the next few months, as recently assigned staff get up to speed with the work involved in claim processing.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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Did the Minister of State say there had been an increase of 33% in applications for DCA and 25% for carer's allowance?

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Yes.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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I see. Based on figures supplied by the Department, for a person who applies for carer's allowance and is refused and must attend an oral hearing, the total time from beginning to end is 41.1 weeks, which is a long time. For an invalidity pension application, the total time is 58.9 weeks, longer than a year. For a jobseeker's allowance application, where there is a question about a means test, it is 40 weeks, or eight months. This applies to people who are very vulnerable, poor and, in many cases, ill. The Minister of State has indicated that he is aiming for new and improved timescales to be introduced as a matter of urgency. The rate of success in appeals regarding these entitlements is extraordinary, which indicates that there must be something wrong with the initial application process. The proportion of appeals which are successful is 60% for some of those benefits.

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I thank the Deputy for his response. This morning, the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, and I met officials at the Department of Social Protection and had a very positive and constructive discussion. We raised the issue of providing the supports and the delays. We dealt with the issue of new and improved timescales, which is a serious problem.

DCA claim numbers increased by 33% from 2013 to 2015 and CA claims increased by 26% over the same period. This means the number of DCA applications increased from 4,829 in 2013 to 6,442 in 2015 and the number of CA applications increased from 14,989 in 2013 to 18,929 in 2015. The figures are rising dramatically. The number of children in respect of whom DCA is paid has increased from 26,000 in 2009 to 33,000 in 2016. The number of people in receipt of carer's allowance has increased to 61,000. These are the figures we are dealing with. I take the Deputy's point. These are very vulnerable people and we need to improve our timeframes.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his response. There have recently been reports that the system for monitoring the equivalent of disability allowance in the United Kingdom is going to be introduced here. Will the Minister of State give me a firm assurance that it will not happen and that it is not the intention of the Government?

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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This was dealt with in the Chamber recently. I give a complete guarantee that the system used in the United Kingdom will not be introduced in this country. We are talking about a health and carers' model. It is a completely different model, and that is essential. It is important to remember that, in recent weeks, there has been a radical improvement for carers when the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, announced that the carer's grant, now known as the carer's support grant, will be increased to €1,700. This is expected to affect 90,000 grants which will be paid in 2016. It will cost approximately €157.6 million. Reforms and supports for services have already increased and the work has begun.