• Employees must have twelve months continuous employment with Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board.
• The person they wish to look after is considered to be a ‘relevant’ person. A care recipient will be considered to be a ‘relevant person’ if they need continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions, or need continual supervision in order to prevent danger to themselves.  A medical practitioner must certify the nature and extent of the care recipient’s disability.
• The employee will be providing full-time care and attention to the relevant person.
• The employee will not be engaging in employment during the period with the exception of:
  • Attending an educational or training course or to take up voluntary or community work for up to fifteen hours per week;
  • Engaging in limited self-employment in your home;
  • Engaging in employment outside your home for up to fifteen hours per week must be approved by the Department of Social Protection.
• The employee has provided the employer with a decision from a Deciding Officer.

Relevant person:  The person for whom the Carer’s Leave is being applied for, (referred to as the “relevant  person”)  must  first  be  deemed  to  be  in  need  of  full-time  care  and attention by the Department of Social Protection.   Therefore the employee must first make an application on the prescribed Department of Social Protection forms which can be received from the Carer’s Benefit Section of the Department of Social Protection, Government Buildings, Ballinalee Rd., Longford, Co. Longford.

According to DSP, “Full-time care and attention” means that a person being cared for must be so disabled as to require  “Continuous supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with his/her normal personal needs” eg. Help to walk and get about, eat or drink, bathe, dress etc; or “Continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him/herself”.