Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The domiciliary care allowance, DCA, is a monthly payment to the parent or guardian of a child with a disability so severe that the child requires care and attention and-or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be provided to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months. DCA is currently paid to more than 25,000 clients in respect of more than 27,000 children at a cost in excess of €140 million per year, including the cost of the associated respite care grant.

The High Court ruling of 1 April, to which the Deputy referred, involved a challenge by a mother in regard to the process involved in determining eligibility on her claim for domiciliary care allowance. While the judge found in her favour and ordered that the individual claim be returned to the Department for a new decision, he put a stay on the order to 28 April, thus providing time to the Department to consider the detailed judgment, along with any implications it may have for decision-making. Therefore, as the Deputy will appreciate, I am not in a position to comment further on what actions may be required as a result of this judgment. As this matter is still under consideration, it is not possible to say what contact, if any, will need to be made with customers.

In May 2012, I initiated a review of the DCA, to which the Deputy referred, which specifically brought parents into the process and involved a very wide sampling of parents. More than 300 submissions were received at the time. As a consequence of that, the application form has been redesigned to allow the details of the child’s care needs to be more comprehensively documented by the parent or guardian. Also, an additional medical information form can be completed for children with pervasive developmental disorders, such as autism. This additional medical information, which will be supplied by the specialist attending the child, will ensure that the appropriate information is available to assist in the decision making process.

It is hoped that having as much information as possible on the child’s care needs available at the initial assessment stage will allow the correct decision to be made at the earliest opportunity possible and reduce the need for further examination and for recourse to the appeals process.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The revised application-decision process will also include improved feedback in regard to the decision reasons at both application and appeal stages. Details on the new process along with revised guidelines covering the administrative changes are available on and have been notified to all CIB offices and to parent-guardian representative groups.

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