Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 October 2022
306. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the degree to which her Department has in place a method for determination of eligibility for domiciliary care allowance, given the number of children who are now deemed eligible on the basis of special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51061/22]
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 in excess of that required by a child of the same age and 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.
While an assessment or diagnosis of a specific disability or condition may assist the Department's deciding officers and medical assessors to make an appropriate decision on entitlement, eligibility for DCA is not based on the type of disability or diagnosis, but on the child's resulting medical and additional care needs. The decision and assessment process that applies in the consideration of whether a child satisfies the criteria for receipt of DCA includes the examination of all relevant factors identified as impacting on the child's additional care needs. A child who is categorised as having special needs or otherwise might qualify for DCA depending on the extent of their additional care needs.
Applications for DCA are decided by a deciding officer on a case-by-case basis, while also considering the opinion of a Departmental medical assessor. A parent / guardian should apply for DCA once they consider that their child may meet the qualifying conditions for receipt of the allowance. In addition to the personal details provided on the completed application form (Dom Care 1), including the signed details from the applicant's GP on this form, the applicant may provide any additional information or evidence that is relevant to their application, such as medical professional report(s) if available.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
