Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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1212. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Cork is entitled to receive a domiciliary care allowance backdated to the date of their child's diagnosis. [24364/18]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from this person on the 19th September 2014. The application was not allowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on 11th February 2015 advising of the decision and the right of appeal, no appeal was received.

A further application for DCA was received on the 27th October 2016 and this application was approved and awarded from 1st November 2016. DCA is payable from the month following receipt of the application unless good cause is shown for the delay in applying. Where good cause is shown, it can be backdated by a maximum of six months. When assessing the application the deciding officer was not satisfied that the person concerned had indicated good reason for the delay in applying, as a result, the allowance was put into payment from November 2016, the month after the application was received in the Department.

If the person concerned wishes to make an application for backdating, she should do so in writing, stating clearly the reason why the latest application was not submitted earlier.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.