Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the delays being experienced by persons applying for domiciliary care allowance; if she will provide figures on the number of DCA applications received in 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; the number of applications that have been granted, denied, appealed and successfully appealed in each of these years. [5833/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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This Department has been accepting new claims for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) since April 1st 2009. Statistics relating to the period prior to April 2009 are a matter for the Health Service Executive (HSE). The average processing time for DCA applications is currently eight weeks. There can be occasional exceptions to this, for example, where the applicant is waiting for detailed medical reports or is obtaining documentary evidence to satisfy the habitual residence condition.

In the period 1st April 2009 to 31st December 2009 a total of 3,389 DCA applications were received by the Department. Of these, 2,823 were fully processed that year, with 1,031 deemed to satisfy the criteria for the scheme. The balance of 1,792 did not satisfy the criteria. There were 836 appeals registered in 2009 of which 183 cases were allowed on review by the deciding officer based on additional information received. A total of 11 DCA appeals were decided by the Appeals Office in 2009 with six allowed.

In 2010 a total of 5,457 DCA applications were received by the Department, with a total of 5,333 applications processed that year. Of these a total of 2,058 were deemed to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the scheme while the remaining 3,275 applications did not satisfy the criteria. There were 1,848 appeals registered in 2010 of which 477 cases were deemed to be qualified when reviewed by the deciding officer based on additional information received. There were 622 DCA appeals decided by the Appeals Office in 2010 with 224 cases allowed.

A total of 1,520 DCA applications have been received to date in 2011 with 1511 applications processed this year to date. Of those cases decided 550 were deemed to satisfy the criteria for the scheme, with 961 having failed to satisfy the criteria. Some 526 appeals have been registered to date in 2011 of which 68 cases were deemed to be qualified on review by the deciding officer based on additional information supplied. To date in 2011, 163 appeals have been processed by the Appeals Office with 58 cases allowed.