Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 222: To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 409 of 14 September 2011, wherein the information sought was deemed to fall within the remit of the Data Protection Act and consequently not available, if in the event of payment being made to a person now known not to have provided care, any issue exists whereby she should make the necessary inquiries to ensure that payment, if any, was made on foot of a legitimate claim provided by the person to whom the payment was made in view of the fact that in this particular case care was actually provided by a different person who did not receive payment of carer's allowance from her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25634/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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If the deputy or the person on whose behalf the deputy is enquiring will provide my department with details and evidence of their allegation of wrongful receipt of carer's allowance along with sufficient information to identify the parties allegedly involved, I will have the original claim re-investigated.

Comprehensive administrative procedures are in place in my department to assess and ensure that the qualifying conditions for carer's allowance are met by both the carer and the care recipient. Application for carer's allowance includes a declaration by the applicant that the information they are providing is true and accurate and that they will inform the department should there be any change in circumstances. Additionally, the care recipient must sign a statutory declaration to state that the person who is applying is providing them with the full time care and attention that they require.

Furthermore, if there is another person who claims to have been providing full time care and attention to a care recipient in respect of whom another person was receiving carer's allowance, it is open to that person to submit their own application for carer's allowance, providing full details of the circumstances. In that event, their entitlement to carer's allowance will be investigated and a decision made.