Written answers
Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Education Policy
Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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537. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports available for children diagnosed as gifted; and if she will consider adding gifted children to the diagnosis that enables carers and parents to apply for the domiciliary care allowance (details supplied). [38373/20]
Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Social Protection operates the Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), a monthly payment for a child, aged under 16 with a severe disability who requires ongoing (continual or continuous) care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. While the Department does not provide any specific supports to sup-groups of children based on diagnoses, children in the category referred to by the Deputy might qualify for DCA depending on the extent of their additional care needs.
Any parent/carer who feels that a child may qualify for DCA is welcome to submit an application which will be considered by a Departmental Medical Assessor before a formal decision is made by a Deciding Officer.
There is no list of diagnoses which automatically entitle or exclude an applicant from receiving the payment and each application is decided based on its own merits, taking account of the additional care needs of the child involved.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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