Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 828: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if all details requested have been supplied in respect of a rent allowance application in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38154/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The position remains, as advised in question number 253, which I answered for the Deputy on 14 October 2009. A community welfare officer issued a letter to the person concerned on 17 September 2009, seeking documentary evidence in relation to a number of matters, including details of the lease on her rented property and her financial position. The Executive has advised that it has not received any additional supporting documentation from the person concerned since the date of issue of the letter.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 829: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of instances in which applications for domiciliary care allowance have been refused on medical grounds in respect of children with dyspraxia, autism and Asperger's syndrome; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38155/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In order to qualify for Domiciliary Care Allowance a child must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively full-time so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months.

Eligibility for Domiciliary Care Allowance is not based primarily on the medical or psychological condition, but on the resulting lack of function of body or mind necessitating the degree of extra care and attention required. Each application is assessed on an individual basis taking account of the evidence submitted.

In the period 1st April 2009 to 9th October 2009 a total of 2430 applications have been received in the required format of which 1688 cases have been fully processed by the Department. Of these applications, 633 were awarded while 1055 were deemed not to be eligible for Domiciliary Care Allowance. 742 applications are currently pending. Of the processed applications, at the beginning of September, 62 have a medical condition of Dyspraxia, 7 of which have been deemed eligible; 115 applications have a medical condition of Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder, 58 of which have been deemed eligible; and 74 have a medical condition of Asperger's Syndrome, 18 of which have been deemed eligible for Domiciliary Care Allowance.

Where a person is not satisfied with the decision of a Deciding Officer they may seek to have the decision reviewed or they may appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.