Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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602. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to address the situation by which domiciliary care allowance is not payable in respect of certain children with a disability in circumstances (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47734/18]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is an allowance established as a recognition of the extra care and attention that is provided by parents at home for a child with a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention which is substantially in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age.

The qualified person to receive DCA is the person with whom the child is considered to be normally resident, as defined by section 140C of SI 162 of 2009 and section 13 of SI 142 of 2007.

Payment of DCA is subject to the following rule, "a qualified child who resides with a person for less than 5 days in any one week shall not be regarded as normally residing with that person for the purposes of domiciliary care allowance", (Section 140C (2) of SI 162 of 2009 refers) unless the child is in an institution for some of the week.

There is no provision under current legislation to pay both parents on an alternate week basis or any split arrangement.  Any proposal to do so would require detailed analysis and careful consideration as it would be complex to legislate for.  As a consequence, it is likely to be difficult to implement and operate, and could result in a range of unintended consequences.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.