Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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564. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when payment will issue in respect of a carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for the delay in issuing the payment in view of the fact that it has been with the payments and maintenance section for a significant period of time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43481/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Carer’s benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention.

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.

CARB was awarded for a period 21 July 2016 to 19 July 2017. Upon expiry of the claim on 28 July 2017 the person concerned made a further application to extend her period of benefit.

However, the information supplied was insufficient to enable a decision to be made. Accordingly additional information was requested from the person concerned on 7 October 2017 in relation to leave periods from her employment with Galway/Roscommon Education and Training Board.

Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.