Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether applications for carer's allowance are now taking over six months to process despite the fact that her Department's voicemail states that decisions will given within three months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28991/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Entitlement to carer's allowance is based on satisfying medical, means and residency conditions. In determining entitlement to the allowance there are, in certain cases, unavoidable time lags involved in making the necessary investigations and enquiries to enable accurate decisions to be made. Delays can also arise if people applying for the allowance are not in a position to supply all the necessary information in support of their claim.

The average time taken to award a claim for carer's allowance from 1 January 2011 to 31 August 2011 was 13.4 weeks. A total of 10, 446 applications were registered in this period (almost 63 per working day) and 9,302 were processed in the same period. The voice mail message is for the information of callers and reflects the average time to award a claim. Some claims will be decided quicker than that and some will take considerably longer, depending on individual circumstances. The message is updated periodically in accordance with latest figures.

I acknowledge that the time taken to process carer's allowance claims is not satisfactory but I am satisfied that my Department is taking appropriate steps to resolve the situation. In particular, a major service delivery modernisation project is underway to improve the efficiency of administration of the carer's allowance scheme. This involves the development of IT functionality and associated business process re-organisation. It is anticipated that the new system will introduce significant processing efficiencies and a quicker and more responsive service to the customer.

Accordingly, this project is being given high priority and involves a significant level of time and commitment from the relevant staff in my Department, which has had, however a short term negative impact on claim processing times. The first tranche of new carer's allowance claims began to be processed under the new system in August 2011. While these new systems and processes will facilitate a significant improvement in overall processing times it should be noted that the intake of new carer's allowance applications continues to increase and that individual claims may still take some time to process.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when rent allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will be restored; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28999/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The community welfare service (CWS), and the community welfare officers providing it, formally transferred to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 1 October 2011. The service and the staff are now part of the DSP. The Department's records show that no application for rent supplement has been received from the person in question. The person should now submit an application for rent supplement to the Department in respect of her current residence. This application will be decided based on her new circumstances and her newly sourced accommodation.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 100: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the correct level of rent allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29009/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The community welfare service (CWS), and the community welfare officers providing it, formally transferred to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) from 1 October 2011. The service and the staff are now part of the DSP. The person concerned is in receipt of a rent supplement of €213.50 per month which is the full amount payable based on her household circumstances.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a decision on their application for carer's allowance; and if she will expedite a response. [29015/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for carer's allowance from the above named person. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. The average time taken to process a claim to completion, including assessment of the claimant's means and the entitlement of the care recipient to full time care and attention on medical grounds is approximately 16 weeks.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a decision on their application for carer's allowance; and if she will expedite a response. [29016/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for carer's allowance from the above named person. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. The average time taken to process a claim to completion, including assessment of the claimant's means and the entitlement of the care recipient to full time care and attention on medical grounds is approximately 16 weeks.

Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a decision on their application for carer's allowance; and if she will expedite a response. [29017/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I confirm that the Department is in receipt of an application for carer's allowance from the above named person. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. The average time taken to process a claim to completion, including assessment of the claimant's means and the entitlement of the care recipient to full time care and attention on medical grounds is approximately 16 weeks.

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will re-examine the refusal of a back to school grant application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29019/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) scheme operates from the beginning of June until the end of September each year. A person may qualify for a BSCFA payment if he or she is in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment, is participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education or training course, and has household income at or below certain specified levels.

The persons concerned were refused BSCFA as their income exceeded the limit allowable for their family composition. The person concerned can request a review by contacting the BSCFA Review Section, Department of Social Protection, St. Oliver Plunkett Road, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. Details on how to request a review are available on the Department's website at www.welfare.ie or on the refusal letter that has been provided to the applicant. However, due to the large volume of applications and requests for review received, information regarding the progress of individual reviews will not be available until such time as the applications have been examined and a decision taken.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the way refusal for disability allowance is justified in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if this question will be accepted as grounds for an appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29024/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In order to satisfy the medical conditions for receipt of disability allowance a person must be suffering from an injury, disease, congenital deformity or physical or mental illness or defect which has continued or may reasonably be expected to continue for a period of at least a year and as a result of the condition the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work which would otherwise be suitable having regard to the person's age, experience and qualifications.

When conducting an assessment, the medical assessor does not dispute the existence of the certified cause of incapacity but rather s/he assesses the duration of the illness and the degree to which the loss of function in work-related activities, resulting from the disease or injury, affects the person's ability to perform either their own job or alternative types of work.

The person concerned applied for disability allowance on 27 April 2011. The medical evidence supplied with her claim was referred to one of the department's medical assessors who was of the opinion, based on the information supplied, that that person was not medically suitable for disability allowance. The deciding officer accepted this opinion and the claim was refused and the person was notified in writing of this decision on 12 September 2011.

Further medical evidence, including that which accompanied this Parliamentary Question, has now been referred to a medical assessor. When the medical assessor's opinion is received by the deciding officer, s/he will review the decision and the person will be notified directly of the outcome. If the original decision remains unchanged after this review, the person concerned can lodge an appeal.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the basis for disallowance of entitlement to disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29025/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As part of a review of the continued entitlement to disability allowance of the person concerned, her medical suitability was assessed by one of the Department's medical assessors who was of the opinion that she was no longer medically suitable for disability allowance. A deciding officer accepted this opinion and the person's claim was disallowed. A letter issued to the person on 26 May 2011 advising her of this decision. Further medical evidence was subsequently received from the person which is being referred to a medical assessor for an opinion as to the person's medical suitability for disability allowance. As soon as a decision is made on this further medical evidence the person will be notified of the outcome.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for a top-up non-contributory pension, together with the free schemes such as the living alone allowance and fuel allowance, in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29031/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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An application for the State pension non-contributory (SPNC) from the person concerned was received on the 11th July 2011. The file has been forwarded to the local social welfare inspector (SWI) for investigation of the customer's entitlement to SPNC. He will be contacted shortly by the SWI to be interviewed regarding his application. When the SWI has completed her report, the file will be returned for a formal decision and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome without delay.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the entitlements claimable by a person (details supplied) in County Longford who is coming off jobseeker's allowance and will be working a 30 hour week at €250 per week, which will not be sufficient for them and their family to live on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29033/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The person concerned is currently in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance at a weekly rate of €250.40. Family Income Support is a weekly payment for payments for families at work on low pay. It is not subject to income tax and does not affect medical card eligibility. If the person concerned commences employment for 30 hours per week at a weekly rate of €250.00, he may be entitled to claim for Family Income Support. He can do so by completing the necessary application form or by contacting his local social welfare office.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for family income supplement in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29035/11]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Family income supplement has been awarded to the person in question with effect from 21 April 2011. First payment, including arrears due, has recently been lodged to the person's nominated bank account. Payment will continue for 52 weeks as long as qualifying conditions are met.