Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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240. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the entitlement to treatment benefit in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43830/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical, aural and hair replacement products and services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions.

To qualify a person needs to have at least 260 PRSI contributions paid at either Class A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39 contributions paid or credited in the relevant contribution year on which the claim is based.

The person concerned qualifies for Treatment Benefit this year as they have a full record of credited PRSI contributions in the relevant year(s).

A claim for dental benefit (scale and polish), was approved and paid in July 2024, there is no further entitlement to this treatment until January 2025.

The person concerned remains entitled to a dental examination in addition to the optical, aural and hair replacement products and services provided under the Scheme.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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241. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which carer’s allowance may be payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43831/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, 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 and who is 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.

An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 13 November 2023.

It is a condition for receipt of Carer’s Allowance that every claimant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information, and evidence as may be required for the purposes of deciding their claim.

Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a Deciding Officer (DO) on 17 November 2023.

As part of the decision process, the application was referred for the professional opinion of a Department Medical Assessor. The claim was disallowed as the Deciding Officer, having regard of the Medical Assessor, decided that the information supplied did not show what the care recipient required full time care.

The person concerned also failed to provide all the information that was required to determine if their means exceeded the statutory limit allowed for receipt of Carer's Allowance or whether they were employed or in education for more than 18.5 hours per week. Consequently, it was decided that the person concerned was not entitled to Carer's Allowance.

The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 05 January 2024. They were also notified of their right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.

To date, my Department has received no further correspondence from the person.

It is open to the person to reapply for Carer's Allowance by completing a new CR1 application form. An application form has been forwarded by post to the address of the person concerned.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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242. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if or when child benefit might be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43833/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Child Benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child Benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16,17 and 18, if they are in full-time education or full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves.

A Child Benefit claim has been received from the person concerned, and has been assigned to a deciding officer. The claim requires further investigation. A decision will be made when all of the relevant information is available to the deciding officer. The person concerned will be informed in writing of the decision as soon as possible thereafter.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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243. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to indicate the progress to date in the determination of an application for household benefits in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43836/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Household Benefits Package comprises of an Electricity or Gas allowance, and a Free Television Licence. Only one Household Benefits Package is payable per household. The payment is made on a monthly basis.

The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment, or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. For customers aged 70 or over, there is no requirement to be in receipt of a qualifying payment or to satisfy a means test.

The person concerned has been awarded the Household Benefits Package (an Electricity Allowance and Free Television Licence) with effect from 12th April 2024, which includes a 6 month backdated entitlement. A letter has issued to the person concerned to advise them of the decision.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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244. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will review the decision not to grant domiciliary care allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43837/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent / guardian 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 where the level that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. This level of care and attention must be required to allow the child to deal with activities of daily living in areas such as mobility, personal care, feeding/diet, communication, speech/language, sleeping, behaviour, safety, sensory issues , including any other additional needs.

Eligibility for DCA is not based entirely on the type of disability or diagnosis but primarily on the impact of the child's disability, in terms of the associated overall level of care and attention required by the child compared to a child of a similar age who does not have such a disability. The decision process that applies in the consideration of whether a child meets the conditions for DCA includes the examination of all relevant factors identified as impacting on the child's additional care needs.

The DCA application from the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer as per decision dated 23 April 2024. Based on the information provided, the child was not considered to satisfy the conditions for DCA. This determination considered the supporting medical evidence that was provided by the applicant in their application and the Deciding Officer had regard to the professional opinion of a Departmental Medical Assessor in making their decision and a copy of this opinion was issued to the applicant for information along with the decision notification.

On foot of your previous request for a review of eligibility for DCA in this case, a review of the application in respect of their child has been completed by a Deciding Officer and they have decided not to revise the above decision, as per review decision dated 22 October 2024. Full details of the review decision have been sent by post to the person concerned and should be received shortly.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) have been notified of a request for an appeal of the original decision and will be in contact directly with the person concerned in due course.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.