Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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169. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if review and appeal will be arranged in respect of refusal of carer's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); if this parliamentary question will be taken as notice of appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16623/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I confirm that my department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 13 April 2016. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention. This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.

The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.

The person concerned was notified on 9 June 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal. If the person concerned wishes to have her application reviewed she should request this in writing, setting out the reasons that she is dissatisfied and providing any available evidence supporting her case. A deciding officer will then review the case. If the outcome of any such review by a DO is to confirm the original decision, the person in question will retain the right to appeal the decision to the independent social welfare appeals office (SWAO) for 21 days after notification of that outcome.

If the person concerned wishes to appeal to the SWAO, she should write to that office stating her wish to appeal and clearly outlining her grounds.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.