Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1227. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if a diagnosis is required in cases in which an assessment of needs’ is supplied with domiciliary care allowance applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40337/22]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. This level of care and attention must be required to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. Eligibility for DCA is determined primarily and essentially by reference to the degree of ongoing additional care and attention required by the child rather than the child's disability.
In cases where an assessment of needs is supplied with Domiciliary Care Allowance applications, a diagnosis is not required for the application process.
Applications for DCA are decided by a deciding officer on an individual case by case basis, while also considering the opinion of a medical assessor. Applicants for DCA are required to complete an application form (Dom Care 1), which details the child's disability and resulting medical and additional care needs. In addition to the details supplied on the application form (Dom Care 1), the applicant may provide any additional information or documentary evidence, medical or otherwise that is relevant to their application such as medical professional report(s) or for example a copy of the needs assessment completed by the HSE, but there is no specific requirement to provide this information. However such additional information or evidence, if available, may assist the Department's deciding officers and medical assessors to make an appropriate decision on entitlement.
While a diagnosis of a child's particular disability may assist the DCA application assessment and decision process, eligibility for DCA is not based on the type of disability but on the extent of the resulting additional care needs required by the child. A particular medical diagnosis, does not necessarily indicate the extent of the care needs required.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
