Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As Mr. Hession knows, autism is a lifelong condition and not a two-year illness. There are studies of the increased costs for families. There is no disregard for any amount of that money when it comes to the income threshold if I am correct. I think there needs to be. If people have that expense attached to caring for their child, it is not taken into account in the income limits. I think it should be. There needs to be an income disregard within the application, particularly for people with autism who have all those extra costs associated with their child. It leaves people in difficult financial circumstances, especially where they are not able to get many services from the State because we do not have the staff to provide them. People then have to go privately at an extremely high cost to themselves. I will bring it up with the Minister. We have disregards in various schemes but we do not have it for families who have huge costs associated with caring. It is a straight figure, which I do not think is correct.