Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 246: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the one parent family payment for each of the past five years in tabular form; the cost of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24114/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the accompanying tabular statement.

Table: Recipients and Expenditure of One-Parent Family Payment, 2005 to 2009

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the one parent family payment on a county basis in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24115/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the deputy is contained in the accompanying tabular statement.

Number of Recipients of One-Parent Family Payment by County, 2009

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the domiciliary care allowance paid to parents whose children are on the autism spectrum is a discretionary payment; the guidelines that determine its disbursement; if there has been a recent change of policy in this area; if there has been a reduction in the budget for the domiciliary care allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24124/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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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, almost all of the time, so that the child can deal with the activities of daily living. The child must be likely to require this care and attention for at least 12 months.

Eligibility for Domiciliary Care Allowance is not based primarily on the impairment or disease but on the resulting lack of function of body or mind necessitating a degree of extra care and attention required. As such it is not possible to say in advance if a child diagnosed with autism or indeed any other condition will qualify for a payment under the scheme. Every application is assessed by one my Department's Medical Assessors and an individual medical opinion, based on the information submitted by the applicant in support of their claim, is given in each case. The deciding officer then makes a decision having considered the medical opinion provided and all the other information available.

There has been no change in policy in relation to the Domiciliary Care Allowance and the budget available remains unchanged.