Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of applications for the domiciliary care allowance that were refused each year for the past five years; the number of refusals that were over turned following appeal; the main reason for refusal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38551/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department has been accepting new claims for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) since 1st April 2009. Statistics relating to the allowance for the period prior to April 2009 are a matter for the HSE, the previous administrators of the scheme.

The number of applicants for DCA that were received, awarded and refused in each year from April 2009 to August 2012 is set out in table 1.

Table 1 - Domiciliary Care Allowance applications – April 2009 to August 2012

(* Includes cases initially disallowed but allowed on review following receipt of additional information ).

Overall, some 54% of applications processed in the period April 2009 to August 2012 were disallowed, with 46% awarded.

The overall number of appeals received, awarded and refused in each year from April 2009 to August 2012 is set out in table 2.

Table 2 - Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals - April 2009 to August 2012*

*supplied by Social Welfare Appeals Office

The main reason that a parent/guardian does not qualify for payment of DCA is that the child does not satisfy the medical criteria for the allowance. In order to qualify for DCA, a child must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention substantially in excess of another child of the same age without the disability and must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months. Qualification for the scheme is not based on the particular disability of the child but on the level of additional care required because of the disability.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a domiciliary care allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38554/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Applications for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) in respect of two children were received from the person concerned on the 17th August 2012. These applications have been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Upon receipt of this opinion, a decision will issue to the customer.

It can currently take up to 8 weeks to process a DCA application.