Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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130. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to comment on the number of domiciliary care allowance applications that have been rejected from 2023; to outline the appeal process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21377/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is an allowance 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 where the level of the child's disability is such that the child is likely to require that level of additional care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months.

Eligibility for DCA is not based entirely on the child's disability, but primarily on the impact of the child's disability / diagnosis in terms of the associated level of additional care and attention required by the relevant child compared to a child of a similar age who does not have such a disability / diagnosis.

The Deciding Officer has regard to the professional opinion of a Departmental Medical Assessor (MA) in the DCA decision process in all cases.

Applicants are advised to submit as much detail as possible with their application, including any additional information and / or documentary evidence that is relevant to ensure that all information is available to my Department for consideration in the decision and assessment process, so that an appropriate decision on entitlement may be made.

It is open to an applicant to subsequently request a review of any decision and this right is not time-limited.

In some cases, more than 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/or seeks a review of a decision. In other words, a claim may be disallowed initially and then subsequently allowed on review, following receipt of further new or additional information/documentary evidence that is relevant.

The following table sets out the number of DCA applications received, awarded and disallowed since 2023:

** Figures are up to end of March 2025

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 entitlements, including DCA. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.

In relation to the DCA appeal process, the decision notification advises the applicant of their right to appeal the decision directly to the SWAO and of the right to request a review of the decision by a Deciding Officer. An applicant can submit an appeal online on www.gov.ie, or in writing/email directly to the SWAO. On appeal, applicants are advised to provide information/evidence in support of their appeal. The appeal time limit has been extended to 60 days from date of decision with effect from 28 April 2025.

Once the appeal is registered by the SWAO, the appeal notice including any supporting documentation/information is submitted electronically to my Department's scheme (DCA) area. On receipt of the notice of appeal from the SWAO, as part of the appeals process, all DCA appeal cases are reviewed and re-examined by my Department, including all information/documentary 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. If warranted, a revised decision (in favour of the appellant/applicant) is made by a Deciding Officer and the applicant is notified of the revised decision in writing. If the original decision is not revised, following the appeal related review/re-examination by a Deciding Officer, the appeal case is submitted electronically to the SWAO for determination by an Appeals Officer.

Appeals may be determined by an Appeals Officer on a summary basis or via an oral hearing. The SWAO notifies the appellant/applicant directly of the appeal outcome.

It should be noted that an Appeals Modernisation Project is ongoing in the SWAO. As part of that project, several initiatives to streamline/expediate the appeal decision/timeline process have been undertaken to date, which provides for simpler processes, including specified response times.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.