Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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374. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of applications, by type and channel (online/paper), received by the Decision Support Service for the individual months ending 31 January 2024 to 31 May 2024; the average processing time for each application category; the number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the Decision Support Service on 1 January 2024, 1 March 2024 and 1 June 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28049/24]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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On 26 of April 2023 I commenced the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, along with the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022. Commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making Act brought an end to wardship in the State for adults, by repealing the Lunacy Regulation (Ireland) Act 1871 and replacing the wards of court system with the new process for appointing tiered decision support arrangements that is now in effect. The abolition of wardship and the move towards a rights-based model of tiered supports is a landmark legal reform in how Ireland approaches persons with capacity difficulties.

The Decision Support Service is responsible for the processing of certain decision support arrangements under the 2015 Act, including Enduring Powers of Attorney ("EPAs"), Co-Decision-Making Agreements ("CDMAs") and Decision-Making Assistance Agreements (DMAA).

The following tables set out the information requested by the Deputy.

Table 1 shows the number of applications, by type and channel (online/paper), received by the Decision Support Service for the individual months ending 31 January 2024 to 31 May 2024*

*This table shows the applications that have been submitted to the DSS where applicants and supporters have been verified, the application paid for, and all required supporting documentation received.

Table 2 shows the average processing time for each application category from date of submission of application to date of approval by the DSS:

Table 3 shows the number of full-time equivalent staff employed by the Decision Support Service on 1 January 2024, 1 March 2024 and 1 June 2024, in tabular form

It should be noted that decision-making representation orders made by the court are notified to the DSS by the court for the DSS to enter on its register. The Courts Service holds the data on the number of DMROs that have been made by the courts and their respective dates.

Furthermore there is a five-week notice and objection period for EPAs and CDMAs . This is a statutory obligation and is an important safeguarding feature. Applications begin their review by the DSS following the five-week objection period ending.

Processing times for applications may vary due to requests for further information from the DSS regarding content of application and supplied documentation. The alternative manual process for applications to the DSS has longer processing times as additional steps are required to digitise the application before the application is submitted. Before a manual application is submitted, applicants must have:

- A fully verified My DSS account

- A fully verified MyDSS account for their supporter(s)

- Completed and returned manual application form

- Completed and returned unique supporting documents for arrangement

-Completed payment for application