asked the Minister for Health if he will consider extending the scheme under which £25 is paid to assist families with one retarded child to provide for payment in respect of subsequent retarded children in the same family.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disabled Child Allowance.
94.
Where there are two or more eligible children, the allowances under the scheme in the case of the family are greater— £33.33p if there are two such children and £37.50p if there are three or more. It was not thought in preparing the scheme that in such cases the total allowances should be at double or treble the rate applicable where there is only one eligible child.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that where there is more than one disabled child the need is greater than where there is in fact only one disabled child?
The reasoning behind the grading of payments is that the degree of extra care involved in looking after more than one child in the same household is not in direct proportion to the number of children to be cared for and that a full allowance for each child would not be warranted.
I am quite sure that the people who came to see me will not be satisfied with that reply.
At the same time the Deputy will agree that there is a certain amount of common sense in it.
I will see what they have to say and will come back to the Minister.