Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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101. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost to increase carer's allowance by €6.50 per week. [50083/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of Carer's Allowance by €6.50 per week is €24.6 million.

An equivalent increase in the rate of Carer's Benefit would cost an estimated €1.3 million in a full year.

These costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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102. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for domiciliary care allowance that were refused by her Department in the first ten months of 2023. [50084/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance is payable in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability, requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care for at least 12 consecutive months. This level of care must be required to allow the child deal with the activities of daily living.

The number of applications for Domiciliary Care Allowance that were refused by my Department in the first 10 months of 2023 is 3,400.

Applicants are advised to provide as much detail as possible at application stage, including any additional information or documentary evidence that is relevant, medical or otherwise, to ensure that all information is available for consideration in the decision and assessment process.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.