Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
taken, in different areas, in relation to the payment of exceptional needs payments in respect
of religious ceremonies and to ensure that the SWA scheme is responding to a specific financial
need and not to the occasion.
The Department recently recommended to staff that a maximum payment of €110 be made
in respect of the religious ceremony (mainly Communions and Confirmations). This will be the
first step towards limiting these payments to cases of significant hardship only, in 2013. While
the Department does not maintain records of the number of applications received for support
for religious ceremonies it is clear that the number of such payments in Donegal was at the
lower end of the scale at less than ten payments made in 2011.
Question No. 340 withdrawn.
Social Welfare Appeals
341. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a carer’s allowance
application will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if
she will make a statement on the matter. [8017/12]
Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): I am advised by the Social Welfare
Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, including that
adduced at oral hearing, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned. Under Social Welfare
legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed
by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. Following the submission of
additional evidence the Appeals Officer has agreed to review the case. The person concerned
will be contacted when the review of her appeal has been finalised. The Social Welfare Appeals
Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department
and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
Social Welfare Benefits
342. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details
supplied) in County Clare has not been facilitated; and if she will make a statement on the
matter. [8019/12]
Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): An application for domiciliary care
allowance was received on 3rd October 2011. This application was referred to one of the
Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the child was not medically eligible for the
allowance. A letter issued on 30th November 2011 advising the customer of the decision.
The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision and advised that
additional information will follow. As part of the appeals process, this information, when
received, together with the original application will be forwarded to a Medical Assessor for
review.
Departmental Staff
343. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will immediately
recruit 214 new staff to replace those leaving at the end of the month under the early
retirement scheme in view of the existing lengthy delays in the processing of social welfare
applications and the envisaged greater role for Departmental staff in terms of profiling and
activation which is more human resource intensive. [8020/12]
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