Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputies Ardagh and Daly for this question. DCA is a non-means-tested payment of €360 per month and is payable in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability. The child must require continuous care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age.

Applications for DCA are decided by a deciding officer on an individual case-by-case basis and based on the details provided in the application form by the applicant themselves and by the child’s GP or specialist. All new applications for DCA are referred for the opinion of a medical assessor in the Department. The medical assessor considers the severity of the child's condition, the expected duration, and the child's associated care needs, and then provides his or her medical professional opinion in relation to the child's eligibility for DCA. This is to aid the deciding officer in making a fair and accurate decision on the eligibility of the child for the scheme.

The main reason, to date, for an application for DCA to be unsuccessful is that the application does not show that the child satisfies the medical criteria for the scheme. Eligibility for DCA is not based entirely on the child's disability or diagnosis, but primarily on the impact of the disability or diagnosis in terms of the associated care and attention required by the child compared to another child of the same age without their disability. Where decisions are overturned on review or appeal, this does not mean that the initial decision was incorrect. A decision can be overturned because the person requesting a review or appeal provides additional information that was not previously made available. Applicants are asked to provide as much detail as possible at application stage.

My Department's officials and I are committed to providing a quality service to applicants for DCA. Earlier this year, we extended the MyWelfare service to provide for an online application process. As part of this process, the opportunity was taken to explore the design of the application form to make it easier for applicants. This involved consultation with relevant groups.

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