Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The Government announced over a year ago that it planned to review the domiciliary care allowance in order to reduce costs. Since then there has been a relentless assault on children with special needs and the domiciliary care allowance and this is unacceptable and wrong in my view. As a result of the reviews to date, nearly 50% of children with autism and with serious special needs have lost their payments. There seems to be a deliberate premeditated pattern of focusing on children with autism and removing their domiciliary care allowance. I doubt if there is a Deputy in this House who has not encountered parents of children with special needs, and, in particular, parents of children with autism, who have lost the domiciliary care allowance. I refer to a most insulting comment contained in the letter which has been received by parents which states: "The needs of your child are no greater than the need of any average six year-old." Parents of children with autism and with special needs generally regard this statement, which emanates from the Minister for Social Protection and the Department, as incomprehensible. It betrays a lack of any idea of what issues and challenges are faced by a child with autism in his or her life. These challenges are multiple. For some reason, these children have been targeted in this review of the domiciliary care allowance. When this cut is combined with the cut in the family income supplement and in the carer's allowance, I assure the Taoiseach this is having a devastating impact on the families concerned. Will the Taoiseach initiate a root and branch change to the manner in which the domiciliary care allowances are being reviewed throughout the length and breadth of the country?

See this speech in context