Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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230. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the waiting times for processing carer's allowance and carer's benefit applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17926/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State while carer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce.  Both payments can be made to people who are providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

At the end of February 2019 the average waiting time for a decision on a new CA claim was 15 weeks while it was 12 weeks for CARB claims.Additional resources have been applied to the processing of CA claims and this continues to reduce the average week to process.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.