John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 236: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the medical criteria required for automatic entitlement to domiciliary care allowance; if this includes autistic spectrum disorder; if not, her views on the fact that this diagnosis should be included; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43848/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In order to qualify for Domiciliary Care Allowance a child must have a disability so severe that it requires the child needing care and attention and/or supervision substantially in excess of another child of the same age. This care and attention must be given by another person, effectively full-time so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 months.

Eligibility for the allowance is not based primarily on the medical or psychological condition, but on the resulting lack of function of body or mind necessitating the degree of extra care and attention required. Applications – including those for autistic spectrum disorder - are assessed on an individual basis taking account of the evidence submitted. As such it is not possible to say if a child with autism or any other intellectual disability will qualify for a payment under the scheme.