Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 116: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the application processing systems of the carer's allowance and respite grant section are not linked up to allow for the sharing of information and to reduce the burden on already stressed and vulnerable people; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28562/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The annual Respite Care Grant of €1,700 is paid to carers providing full-time care and attention to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of their means or social insurance contributions. Approximately 77,000 carers benefitted from the grant in 2011. The grant helps carers to get some respite for themselves or for the person for whom they are caring. The grant is paid automatically to carers in receipt of care-related schemes administered by the Department, such as carer's allowance, carer's benefit and domiciliary care allowance. Other full time carers who are not in receipt of one of these schemes may apply to respite care grant section separately for the grant which is not means tested. Respite care grant section administered nearly 6,000 of the above grants in 2011.

A major service delivery modernisation project is underway to improve the efficiency of administration of the carer's allowance scheme. This involves the deployment of information technology solutions 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. However, it will only be fully deployed for carers until mid-June. Once fully deploy automation of respite care grant for carers customers will be possible.