James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme, including if he will expedite and approve it. [12239/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 21 December 2015.

CA is a social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State, satisfies a means test and who is providing full-time care and attention to another person who has a disability such that they require that level of care.

A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses outside the home for a maximum of 15 hours per week, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding officer that adequate care has been provided for the care recipient in their absence.

The case was referred by a deciding officer (DO) to a local social welfare investigative officer to compile a report in relation to all the circumstances of the case. All the evidence available in relation to this application, including the report of the SWI, was examined by a DO who decided that the person concerned was not providing full-time care and attention as he was working outside the home for more than 15 hours per week and the level of care provided was not full-time.

The person concerned was notified on 24 May 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal.