Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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256. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in sending the file of a person (details supplied) relating to a carer's allowance claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22832/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Carer's Allowance (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 the care recipient is in non-residential place of day care. As the care recipient of the person concerned is in day care for 4 nights and 5 days a week, the person concerned was not deemed to be providing full-time care and attention.

In reply to a previous question from the Deputy, my Department undertook to prepare a submission in support of the decision to disallow the application and forward it along with the file to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) for determination.

However, it was then brought to the attention of the Department that the care recipient was no longer in day care and was under the full-time care of the person concerned during the holidays.

It was decided that, as the person concerned would be entitled to CA during holiday periods, it would be more beneficial to issue the payment for these periods first and then refer the paperwork to the SWAO.

Officers in my Department have been in touch with the person concerned and once the holiday dates have been confirmed, payment of CA will issue for these periods.

Immediately after this, the paperwork will be referred to the SWAO.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.