Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 90 and 96 of 22 March 2006, his progress in consultations with the Department of Health and Children, to remove the remaining restrictions for disability allowance on persons in residential care; the number of people affected by these restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17681/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department took over responsibility for the Disabled Person's Maintenance Allowance scheme in October 1996 under the new title of Disability Allowance (DA). Since then, the restrictions on payment to persons in residential care have been progressively relaxed and from 1999, Disability Allowance recipients who have been living at home can retain their entitlement on entering a hospital or residential care.

In Budget 2005, I took a significant step towards the eventual removal of disqualification for receipt of Disability Allowance due to residential care with the introduction of the Disability Allowance (Personal Expenses Rate), effective from June 2005. This new payment, in effect, replaced the former pocket money or spending allowances provided by the Health Services Executive to people who were in residential care since prior to August 1999 at a higher and consistent rate of EUR35 per week.

Following the introduction of the measure, there are now over 2,800 people in residential care who meet the qualifying conditions for this payment and are now in receipt of the Disability Allowance (Personal Expenses Rate). This level of take-up reflects the success of this payment in ensuring that people with a disability who are in residential care since prior to 1999 are no longer disqualified from receiving a social welfare payment.

I have stated that I intend to move beyond payment of partial Disability Allowance (Personal Expenses Rate) and to remove all remaining restrictions on persons in residential care so as to make them eligible for the full Disability Allowance, subject only to the same conditions as apply to others. The issue of the extension of eligibility for Disability Allowance to all those in residential care is under discussion at present with the Department of Health and Children and I hope to be able to make progress on this matter in the near future.