Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the specific measures she is taking to offset the savings originally identified in the proposed changes to the revised estimates for her Department as a result of the changes in relation to her decision not to proceed with the budget 2009 announcement in relation to the age criteria for disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39168/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In the Budget, I announced that the age of eligibility for entitlement to Disability Allowance (DA) would be increased from 16 to 18 years for new claimants with effect from 1 January 2009. As an alleviating measure, the age for entitlement to the Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) would be increased from 16 to 18 years from the same date. These measures were estimated to save €5.6 million on the Department of Social and Family Affairs Vote while giving rise to a cost of €1.4 million on the HSE Vote. Accordingly, the net saving to the Exchequer in 2009 was expected to be of the order of €4.2m.

As I have already announced, these measures will not now proceed. The consequential impact on the Social and Family Affairs Vote equates to 0.04% of expenditure and will be accommodated by on-going efficiencies across the whole range of the Department's activities next year. It will not be necessary to introduce further measures affecting entitlements or payments. The amount of €1.4 million which will not now be required for the DCA measure will be transferred from the HSE Vote to the Social and Family Affairs Vote in the Revised Estimates.