Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Of course, we have to ensure parents and carers of children with disabilities receive support. The Independent Alliance dealt with this issue very strongly in the budget for next year. The domiciliary care allowance is €309.50 per month. The carer's support grant which the Independent Alliance had restored within six months of going into government is €1,700. It is paid to 101,000 families in the State. There are 38,000 parents directly affected by the issue raised by the Deputy. That is another reason we pushed in the Estimates debate for an increase in the weekly rate of carer's allowance, carer's benefit, blind pension, disability allowance and invalidity pension because we accept the argument - the Deputy's argument - that the parents of children with disabilities need more support.

On the broader debate, the legislation in place requires a child to be resident with one parent for five days per week in order to qualify for the domiciliary care allowance. It is important to note that under the legislation, where parents insist on a child residing fewer than five days per week with one or other parent, the allowance is not payable. Is there a possibility that such families, as part of the separation agreement, could negotiate a settlement in that regard? If a child is resident full time in an institution such as a hospital, the domiciliary care allowance is not payable. If, however, the child goes home for not fewer than two days or not more than four in any one week, half of the allowance is paid to the qualified person, that is, the person with whom the child is considered to be normally residing, if not in the institution.

The Deputy has raised a very important issue which I will follow up with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection because the argument he has made has a certain validity. We must ensure that if there are two parents providing care on a 50:50 basis, there will be some scheme in place. In the meantime, while we are having the debate about legislation or changing the system, I encourage parents who are making settlements and if they are responsible and care about their children, to sit down and hammer out a deal to go 50:50 on the allowance.

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