Finian McGrath
Ceist:136 Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding proposals in relation to the domiciliary care allowance (details supplied). [25769/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 23 May 2012
Ceisteanna (136)
Freagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware, eligibility for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) is determined primarily by reference to the degree of additional care and attention required by the child, rather than to the type of disability involved. Each application is assessed on an individual basis taking account of the evidence submitted. No specific condition or disability rules a child in or out of qualifying for the allowance.
Applications for DCA are assessed on a case by case basis by one of the Department's medical assessors, all of whom are fully qualified medical practitioners who have training/experience in human disability evaluation. The medical assessor's opinion is based on the information furnished as part of the application process which includes details of the additional care and attention required by the child, as outlined by the parent/guardian and medical details provided by the child's GP. Any additional information the parent/guardian considers relevant to the application and wishes to include is also reviewed. This could include, for example, consultant's reports, reports from a community health doctor or a copy of the needs assessment carried out by the HSE.
It is important to note that the normal ages of attainment data for children up to 4 years are provided to assist the medical assessor in his/her assessment. It is not a scale which determines eligibility or otherwise. Reports from child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists or occupational therapists usually provide information on the child's individual developmental status on a percentile basis. Whereas no data provided by the Department on normal age of attainment for children over 4 years of age or adolescents, should a medical assessor consider it helpful, there is a wealth of reference material available in the medical literature.
Prior to the transfer of the DCA scheme from the HSE in 2009, an expert medical group examined the scheme and made recommendations on how it should operate within the Department. These recommendations included the need for a review process and the minimum term that should apply to such reviews. DCA cases are routinely reviewed to ensure that all the conditions for receipt of the payment continue to be met. Scheduled reviews, on the recommendation of a medical assessor, are based on the prognosis of the child's disability and how their care needs may change over time. Customers who are reviewed are asked to provide relevant up-to-date medical evidence and details of the additional care needs of their child versus a child of the same age who doesn't have his or her disability. This information is assessed by a medical assessor and a decision is made based on the medical opinion they provide. Where payment is stopped as a result of a review, the customer is invited to submit any further information he or she may wish to have considered and that information is further examined and/or he or she may appeal the decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals office.
I recently announced that the Department would shortly be undertaking a policy review of the scheme. This review will look at, amongst other things, the current application and assessment process and identify any potential improvements to the delivery of service to customers that can be implemented while retaining an efficient and effective operational model. The issues raised by the Deputy can be considered as part of the review.