Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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381. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of children who will benefit from the extension of access to domiciliary care allowance for children in hospital from three to six months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55663/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Children in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), who are admitted to hospital, can retain entitlement to the payment for a period of 13 weeks in any 12 months. This period will be extended to 26 weeks from January 2022.

When preparing estimates for Budget 2022, the Department estimated that the extension could benefit up to 170 children. However, as DCA is a demand led scheme, the number of children who will benefit is not capped and it will be payable in respect of any child who fulfils the conditionality.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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382. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of providing domiciliary care allowance for children that require prolonged hospitalisation in excess of 30 days from birth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55664/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Children who are in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) and who are admitted to hospital, can retain entitlement to the payment for a period of 13 weeks in any 12 months. This period will be extended to 26 weeks from January 2022.

Children who remain in hospital after birth do not qualify for DCA as it is paid in respect of children with additional care needs who are being cared for in their own home.

Information on the number of children who remain in hospital for greater than 30 days after birth is not collated by the Department, so it is not possible to provide a costing as requested by the Deputy.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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383. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated annual cost of providing domiciliary care allowance to children aged 16 and 17 years in view of the fact that children can no longer access this payment once they turn 16 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55665/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable to a qualified child's 16th Birthday, after which they may have an entitlement to Disability Allowance.

The number of children in receipt of DCA in the month immediately before their 16th birthday will vary each month and over time. However, as an indication of the potential cost, at December 2020 there was just under 4,000 children aged 15 in receipt of DCA. Assuming these children continue to meet the qualifying conditions for the scheme, the cost of continuing to pay them the DCA after their 16th birthday and until they reach 17 would be circa €15m euro per annum. If this payment were to continue to age 18 the additional cost would amount to around €30m. Carers support grant and Carers allowance where applicable, would also be payable and incur additional costs.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.