Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 470: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of applicants for respite care grants to date in 2008; the number approved, refused or pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39999/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Respite Care Grant (RCG) is an annual payment made to all persons providing full-time care, regardless of means or PRSI contribution record, but subject to certain conditions. The Grant is payable from the first Thursday in June of the year in question.

The extension of the scheme to all carers was introduced in Budget 2005. Prior to this, only those in receipt of certain payments from the Department, principally Carers Allowance/Benefit could receive the Grant.

The information requested is detailed in tabular form as follows. Differences between total applications received and those decided and pending are due to the fact that some RCG applications are ultimately decided as part of claims for Carers Allowance or Benefit. Also some decisions made relate to applications received in 2007.

Approximately half the claims pending are from people who have also applied for Carer's Allowance and who may be paid the Grant along with the Allowance. The vast majority of the remainder of pending cases cannot be finalised until further information is received.