Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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18. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the plans she has for changes to the domiciliary care allowance and disability allowance; and the date on which she intends to make any changes. [25714/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Government fully recognises that the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) scheme represents a very important support to parents and guardians who live with, and care for, children with a disability. Likewise, the disability allowance (DA) represents an important income support to people who are unfit for work.

DCA is now in payment in respect of over 26,500 children, an increase of over 3,500 since the Department took over responsibility for the scheme from the HSE in April 2009. Spending on the scheme and the respite care grant, which is automatically paid to all recipients, has increased from €138 million to €145 million between 2010 and 2012. In 2012, DA was in payment in respect of 102,000 customers at a cost of €1.09 billion.

The second report of the Advisory group on Tax and Social Welfare on the issue of the Budget 2012 proposals regarding DA and DCA was published on 10 April 2013. At the same time, the report of the Review Group on the operation of the DCA scheme was also published. These reports make a number of policy recommendations, which make a valuable contribution to the policy debate in relation to young people with disabilities. My colleagues in Government and I will consider these findings, taking into account future developments in terms of the budgetary and fiscal situation as well as other work underway.

The administrative recommendations made in the report of the Review Group on the operation of the DCA scheme will result in an improvement in the level of service provided to our customers and will assist in ensuring that those people who meet the qualifying conditions for the payment receive it in a timely manner. Some of these recommendations are already implemented and it is my intention that the remaining recommendations will be implemented quickly, to this end an implementation group, representing those groups and Departments who contributed to the review, is in the process of being established.