Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
507. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the number of domiciliary care allowance applications that have been rejected from 2023; the number of appeals that were successful; and to outline the appeal process. [68342/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months.
Eligibility for DCA is not based entirely on the child's disability or diagnosis. Rather, the assessment focuses on the impact of the condition and the extent of the additional care and attention required when compared to a child of the same age without that condition.
The following tables set out the number of DCA applications received and disallowed since 2023, together with the number of appeals allowed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the number of decisions revised in the applicant's favour by a Deciding Officer following the submission of an appeal.
|
DCA Applications |
|
|
|
Year |
Applications Received |
Applications Disallowed |
|
2023 |
12,290 |
4,079 |
|
2024 |
13,270 |
4,554 |
|
2025 |
15,588 |
5,167 |
|
2026** |
12,188 |
4,079 |
|
DCA Appeals |
|
|
|
Year |
Appeals Allowed |
Revised decision by Deciding Officer |
|
2023 |
862 |
407 |
|
2024 |
792 |
832 |
|
2025 |
1562 |
1482 |
|
2026** |
698 |
1,037 |
** Figures are up to end of August 2026
It is important to note that where decisions are allowed on receipt of an appeal, this may not mean that the initial decision was incorrect. A decision is more often revised because the person making an appeal provides additional information that was not available when the decision was first made. In other jurisdictions appellants are not allowed to submit additional information, but instead are required to submit a new application. By referring the appeal papers back to my department’s decisions team for review, our process is more flexible. As a result, 1,037 (60%) of the 1,735 DCA appeals granted in the period January to August 2026 were decided by way of revised decision by the scheme Deciding Officers. This clearly shows my department’s efforts to ensure that as few cases as possible have to go through the full appeals process.
An applicant who is dissatisfied with a DCA decision may appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office, normally within 60 days of the date of the decision.
Upon receipt of an appeal, my Department reviews the original decision and considers any additional information submitted by the appellant. In some cases, the original decision may be revised by a Deciding Officer where additional information supports a more favourable outcome. To the end of August 2026, 1,037 DCA appeals were resolved in this manner.
Where a case is not resolved following review, it is referred to an independent Appeals Officer for determination. The Appeals Officer may decide the appeal on the basis of the evidence available or, where necessary, hold an oral hearing to obtain further information.
The Appeals Officer may allow, partially allow or disallow the appeal and issues a written decision setting out the reasons for that determination.
