Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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249. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average length of time taken to determine entitlement to a disability allowance; the extent to which this has fluctuated in each of the past five years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39121/18]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance for people with a disability aged between 16 and 66 with a disability expected to last for at least one year and who satisfy the medical condition, means test and are habitually resident in Ireland. 

The average time taken to award a new DA claim in July 2018 was eleven weeks. The following table lists the average processing time over the past 5 years to date.

The Department is committed to ensuring that claims and reviews are processed as expeditiously as possible.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.