Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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399. To ask the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 84 of 14 November 2013, if the fact that full-time care is being provided was taken into account in respect of an appeal for carer's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50510/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Carer’s allowance is a payment for persons who are providing full-time care and attention to an eligible person and who satisfy a means test. An application for carer’s allowance from the person in question was refused on 11 May 2013 on the ground that the person concerned was not providing full time care and attention as required. She was notified of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review or appeal. The person concerned appealed this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 28 May 2013. The decision before the appeals officer was whether the deciding officer was correct in refusing the application based on the evidence provided by the applicant on their application form and as reported by the Social Welfare Inspector who investigated the claim. After careful consideration of all aspects of the case the appeals officer decided that the qualifying conditions for carer’s allowance were not fully met in this case and, consequently, the appeal was disallowed. The Social Welfare Appeals Office wrote to the person in question on 24 October 2013 to notify them of this decision. The appeals officer noted in their decision that if the circumstances of the person concerned had changed since the decision was made to refuse their application that it is open to them to re-apply by submitting a fresh claim.