Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 779: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will provide information on the last review of domiciliary care allowance and the qualifying criteria attaching to this payment; if it is the case that parents of autistic children are deemed ineligible; if so, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1826/07]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Department established the National Allowances Review Group on Disability related allowances in November 1999. This Working Group presented its submission to my Department in 2002, which in turn led to the circulars that currently exist which came into effect on the 1st July 2002.

The Working Group was maintained by the Health Service Executive and my Department and is currently in the final stages of preparing a submission to my Department which contains draft new circulars for the various disability related allowances which come under the remit of the Department of Health and Children, one of which is Domiciliary Care Allowance.

DCA may be paid, as the Deputy is aware, in respect of eligible children from birth to the age of 16 who have a severe disability requiring continual or continuous attention which is substantially in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age. Eligibility is determined primarily by reference to the degree of additional care and attention required rather than to the type of disability involved.

As a result of a Government decision to transfer the allowances to the Department of Social and Family Affairs an Interdepartmental Working has been established to carry oversee this transfer.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 780: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the breakdown of the number of children covered by the payment of domiciliary care allowance in each community care area according to the latest available information; the proportion of children this represents in each of those community care areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1827/07]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.