Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 435: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when domiciliary care allowance will be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3223/10]

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.

An application for Domiciliary Care Allowance was received by the Department on 9 th July 2009. This application was referred to one of the Departments Medical Assessors who found that the child in question did not meet the medical criteria to be eligible for Domiciliary Care Allowance.

A letter issued to the person in question on 2nd September 2009 where she was advised of the decision to refuse Domiciliary Care Allowance for not satisfying the medical criteria. In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds, the applicant may submit additional information and/or ask for the case to be reviewed by a different Medical Assessor specially designated for this task. Where a person is not satisfied with the decision of a Deciding Officer they may appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. There has been no appeal of the decision or request for a review received in the Department to date.