Vol. 443 No. 9
66 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health the reason domiciliary care allowance is taken from parents with children of special needs when they have to travel out of their home area to attend special schools; and the plans, if any, he has to make payments to parents in view of the fact that it is not the parents choice that children should have to travel away from home for special education as the facility is not available in their own area.
Domiciliary care allowance, DCA, is payable by health boards to parents in respect of handicapped children between the ages of two and 16 years who are living at home and who are so severely physically or mentally handicapped that they require care and attention which is considerably in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age. Eligibility is determined primarily by reference to the degree of care and attention required by the child rather than the type of handicap.
