Vol. 515 No. 2
84 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will ensure that domiciliary care allowance is paid in respect of children who are severely mentally or physically disabled and who require constant care from the time that a definitive medical diagnosis of long-term handicap is available; and if he will remove the requirement that the handicap must have been present for six months prior to application. [5004/00]
I would like to refer the Deputy to my response to previous questions on this issue.
The Deputy will be aware that my predecessor, Deputy Brian Cowen, announced on budget day last that additional funding would be made available from 1 January 2000 to support the application of the domiciliary care allowance scheme introduced by way of Circular No. 24/73 dated 23 September 1973 to eligible children under two years of age.
The modification was confined to the age eligibility criterion only. Other criteria, as outlined in Circular No. 24/73, have not been altered. It should be noted that the circular also points out, inter alia, that:
The fact that a severe handicap is present does not automatically justify the payment of an allowance.... It is not intended that the scheme should apply to short-term illnesses or disabilities – the handicap must be present at the time of application, have been present for at least six months prior to that date, and be likely to continue to last for at least a year. It is not visualised that any particular condition should be debarred from consideration – each case can be considered on its merits....
I have asked officials in my Department to consult with the health board chief executive officers in order to obtain the views of the senior area medical officers on the specific issues raised by the Deputy in his question.
