526. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the current wait time for domiciliary care allowance appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48755/26]

The average processing time for domiciliary care allowance appeals at the end Q1 2026 was 9.6 weeks.

In comparison, the average processing time for domiciliary care allowance appeals in 2025 was 16 weeks.

The Chief Appeals Officer continues to monitor processing times and every effort is made to reduce the time taken to process an appeal. Domiciliary care allowance appeals as a whole are treated as a priority for my Department. However, the drive for efficiency must be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and made in accordance with the provisions set out in primary legislation and regulations.

The Annual Report of the Chief Appeals Officer is published each year and includes information on average processing times for Department schemes including domiciliary care allowance. The reports for years 2015 to 2024 are available on the Social Welfare Appeals Office website: www.gov.ie/en/social-welfare-appeals-office/collections/news-and-publications-from-the-social-welfare-appeals-office/#annual-reports. The 2025 Annual Report is due to be published shortly.