Vol. 468 No. 4
235 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to address the issue of the gap in qualification ages between the cut-off for a domiciliary care allowance and a disabled person's maintenance allowance. [15905/96]
Limerick East): There is no gap in the qualification ages for a domiciliary care allowance and a disabled person's maintenance allowance. DCA is paid by health boards in respect of children between the ages of two and 16 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. Disabled person's maintenance allowance is the primary income support scheme operated by health boards for people between the ages of 16 and 66 who, because of their disability, are unable to work and are not in a position to maintain themselves in the community.
