Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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308. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for delays in application and appeal decisions relating to the domiciliary care allowance; and the efforts that are being made to reduce these waiting times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38834/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all of its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.

Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) new claim processing activity, including associated customer requested reviews, is prioritised on an ongoing basis with particular focus on processing times, to ensure a timely service to applicants.

The average processing time for DCA new applications is currently 6 weeks from date of receipt.

Applicants are advised to provide as much detail and relevant information as possible at application stage, including any available additional documentary evidence that is relevant in their child's case, to ensure that all information / documentary evidence is available for consideration in the decision and assessment process, so that an appropriate decision on entitlement may be made at the earliest possible date.

As part of the decision-making process, all DCA applications are referred on receipt to my Department's Medical Review and Assessment Service (MRAS) for the professional opinion of a Medical Assessor (MA). In cases where an applicant subsequently requests a review of a deciding officer's decision and/or appeals the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and where the applicant submits further new or additional medical evidence that is relevant, such cases are referred for a further departmental MA opinion. The deciding officer has regard to the MA opinion in the decision process.

In some cases, more that one decision may be made on a DCA application where an applicant subsequently provides further information, documentary evidence, or more substantial medical evidence for consideration and seeks a review(s) of a decision.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) is an office of my Department which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare schemes and entitlements, including DCA. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision-making functions and management of the Appeals Office is the responsibility of the Chief Appeals Officer.

As part of the appeals process, all DCA appeal cases are further reviewed and re-examined by my Department, including all information/evidence available at the time of the original decision and any further decision(s) if applicable, including any additional information and/or documentary evidence provided in support of the appeal and, if warranted, a revised decision is made by a deciding officer in such appeal cases. If the original decision remains unchanged following the appeal-related review by a deciding officer, the DCA file is submitted to the SWAO for determination by an Appeals Officer.

However, it should be noted that the DCA review process may take longer to conclude for both reviews and appeal related reviews where it is deemed necessary to refer the case for the opinion of an MA.

With reference to appeal decisions, the SWAO has advised that the number of requests for appeals in relation to my Department's schemes, including DCA, has continued to increase substantially to date in 2024, by comparison to 2023.

The Chief Appeals Officer closely monitors the number of appeals and appeal processing times on an ongoing basis.

An Appeals Modernisation Project is currently underway in the SWAO and it is envisaged that this Business Process Improvement project will assist with the management of appeal decision processing times, in accordance with all available resources. As part of this project, several initiatives to streamline/expediate the appeal decision process are also being undertaken. However, it must also be acknowledged that the objective to process appeal cases quickly must be balanced with factors such as the complex nature of Appeals Officer's decisions, including the competing demand to ensure that appeal decisions are consistent, well reasoned and of high quality and made in accordance with the legislative provisions and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice that underpin a quasi-judicial process.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.