Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 326: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will provide the figures available to her on the number of children who moved from domiciliary care allowance to disability allowance in each of the past three years. [21016/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Disability allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability who are aged between 16 and 66 years. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to both a medical examination and a means test.

Records in this Department show that 198 persons in the period February to December 2005, 246 persons in 2006, 248 persons in 2007 and 93 persons in the period January to April 2008 who were awarded Disability Allowance had been in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance. Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment which provides financial support to families with children with severe disabilities up to the age of 16 years. In addition, an annual respite care grant is also payable with the allowance. This scheme is currently administered by the Health Service Executive under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children.

The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2008 has put in place the necessary legislative provision for the transfer of Domiciliary Care Allowance to this Department. It is expected that the appropriate systems and administrative arrangements will be in place to give effect to the transfer in the second quarter of 2009. Following this transfer appropriate policy or further legislative development will be considered when the Department has had the opportunity to examine the circumstances and needs of recipients of the allowance.