Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Boyhan for raising a very valid point. The Senator has alluded to the fact that the domiciliary care allowance scheme is run by the Department of Social Protection. He is quite right that there have been a number of reports on it, including the Ita Mangan report which was an excellent body of work that recommended extending the domiciliary care allowance to people up to the age of 18, if they wished. However, as the domiciliary care allowance is paid at a lower rate than the disability allowance, it is important that there would not be any adverse consequences for anybody with a disability. The consideration of that issue is a matter for the Department of Social Protection.

What I am doing with the legislation before the House today is aligning the domiciliary care allowance with the medical card. If the Department of Social Protection decides to extend the domiciliary care allowance scheme further, this legislation will extend further. The medical card scheme, for the purposes of this legislation, is aligned with the domiciliary care allowance scheme. However, it is important to note that as the domiciliary care allowance payment ceases when a child reaches the age of 16, it would be necessary at that stage for an application to be made for a medical card. Up until that point, there will be no reviews and there will be an automatic entitlement to a medical card for everybody. However, at the age of 16, the normal medical card procedure will kick in. The HSE has assured me that it has a process in place to manage such applications so that families are notified well in advance of the child's 16th birthday in order to ensure continuity. Obviously the normal rules of medical cards will apply, which are not solely financial or means tested but also have a discretionary element.

There is a broader need to align social protection schemes with health schemes. Indeed, I and the Minister for Social Protection will be launching some policies relating to how health and social protection interact in terms of persons with disabilities who are working. The point that Senator Boyhan makes merits further consideration but under this legislation, eligibility for the domiciliary care allowance is linked directly to the medical card. People beyond the age of 16 can apply for a medical card in the normal way.