Seymour Crawford
Ceist:64 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the objectives of the National Representative Council (details supplied). [5504/01]
Written Answers. - National Representatives Council.
I am aware of the objectives of the National Representative Council and in so far as they relate to health I recognise the importance of the role of carers in their care of people with disabilities.
As the Deputy is no doubt aware, there are two allowances available for carers, the carer's allowance, which is an allowance paid by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs and the domiciliary care allowance which is a monthly allowance paid and administered by health boards in respect of children up to the age of 16 who are so severely physically or intellectually disabled that they require care and attention which is considerably in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age. I was pleased to be able to make additional funding of £0.45 million available in 2001 for further improvements in the domiciliary care allowance scheme.
The following changes will come into effect on 1 April 2001. The requirement that the handicap must have been present for six months prior to the date of application is being abolished. This means that from 1 April 2001 payment of the allowance will be made from the date of application. Children who normally reside in special schools or institutions and who spend periods at home, for example, weekends or holidays, will from 1 April 2001 receive apro rata payment of the domiciliary care allowance.
Furthermore, my Department made additional funding of £0.95 million available in 2001 to support an increase in the respite care grant in respect of recipients of domiciliary care allowance. The grant, which will be payable in the first week of June is being increased from £300 to £400 and is being extended to a second eligible child in a family in line with the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs budget provision.
I am also aware that the provision of appropriate support services, including home and residential respite services, is vital in providing respite to carers and accordingly, my policy is to continue to invest significant funding in these services for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
The National Representative Council also proposes an increase in the weekly rate of disability allowance to £100 which comes under the remit of the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. It also proposes an Ombudsman to which people with disabilities and their families can go to resolve matters of concern to them. As the Deputy will be aware, the role of the Ombudsman in the protection of citizens' rights already extends to people with disabilities. Their final proposal is for a Minister with full responsibility for people with disabilities, a post which has been held since June 1997 by my colleague, Deputy Mary Wallace, Minister of State with special responsibility for equality and disabilities, at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.