Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7634/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received on the 28th July 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 5th October 2011 refusing the allowance. The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision and he was informed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 11th May 2012 that the appeal had been disallowed.

The decision/appeal process for this application is now complete. If the person concerned has additional information which was not made available to the deciding and appeals officers when they made their decisions, it is open to him to re-apply for the payment.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a domiciliary care allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [7639/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13th November 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.