Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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344. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to expedite an application for carer's allowance for a person (details supplied). [23833/16]

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 15 April 2016. Unfortunately, there are currently delays in the processing of new applications.Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.

Frequently, delays are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.

This application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. In the meantime, the person concerned is in receipt of a supplementary welfare allowance from her local community welfare service.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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345. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to expedite an application for carer's and domiciliary care allowances for a person (details supplied). [23834/16]

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 25 April 2016.

It is a condition for receipt of CA, that where the care recipient is aged less than 16 years of age, domiciliary care allowance (DCA) must be in payment in respect of that care recipient.

An application for DCA was received from the person concerned on the 28th April 2016. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s medical assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made by a deciding officer and notified to the person concerned. Applications are processed in date of receipt order. It can currently take 13 weeks to process an application for DCA.

If DCA is awarded, the CA application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. In the meantime, the person concerned is in receipt of a weekly social welfare support.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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346. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to expedite an application for carer's allowance for a person (details supplied). [23837/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 13 November 2015.

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 1 June 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal. The person concerned has requested a review of this decision and submitted additional evidence in support of his application. The review is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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347. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to expedite an application for carer's allowance for a person (details supplied). [23838/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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An application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 17 February 2016.

CA is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a 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.

Having examined all the available evidence, a deciding officer has decided that this condition is not satisfied in this case.

The person concerned was notified on 5 July 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.