Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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900. 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. [17033/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) ceases to be payable when a child turns 16. A child may transition to Disability Allowance (DA) from age 16, even if still attending full-time education, subject to satisfying all qualifying conditions for that scheme, including certain medical criteria and a means test.

The number of qualified children in respect of whom DCA is payable will vary each month and over time.  However, as an indication of the potential cost, in 2022 there were nearly 5,000 children who turned 16. On the basis that these children continue to meet the continued entitlement conditions for the DCA payment, the cost of continuing to pay DCA after their 16th birthday until the age of 17 would amount to approximately €19 million per annum. If this payment was extended to age 18, the cost would amount to approximately €38 million per annum. 

The Carer's Support Grant would also be payable for an additional two years, which would also incur additional costs.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.