Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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156. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether a person can receive domiciliary carer's allowance past a child's sixteenth birthday or whether the child is required to apply for disability allowance. [3718/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My department provides the Domiciliary Care Allowance which is a monthly non-means tested payment to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability and requires care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age.

From January 2025, the rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance increased from €340 to €360 per month. As of December, there were 57,132 families in receipt of the payment in relation to 64,429 children. Expenditure in 2025 is estimated at over €301 million.

Domiciliary Care Allowance ceases to be payable when a child reaches 16 years of age. The young person can then apply for Disability Allowance if they meet the eligibility requirements.

Disability Allowance is a long-term disability payment which is subject to a means test, medical assessment and a habitual residency requirement.

One of the key proposals in the Green Paper on Disability Reform, which my predecessor published in September 2023, was to extend Domiciliary Care Allowance to 18 years of age. In line with this change, the Paper proposed to also raise the qualifying age for Disability Allowance to age 18.

The Green Paper was a consultation document. Based on the feedback received during the public consultation, it became clear that there were significant concerns about the proposals in the Green Paper. Among these concerns, people in particular questioned whether it was appropriate to reform the system of disability payments separate to a wider consideration of other challenges faced by people with disabilities, including transport, health, education and access to employment.

The Department responded to these concerns and, in April 2024, it was announced that the proposals would not proceed any further.

As outlined in the Programme for Government - Securing Ireland's Future - the Government is committed to advancing the rights and improving the lives of people with disabilities.

A new Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability was established last year. Any reform of disability payments, including Domiciliary Care Allowance, are being considered as part of this broader review of disability matters on a whole-of-government basis and will take account of the feedback received during the Green Paper process.

I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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157. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for an update on when a final decision will be made on an application for domiciliary care allowance and the associated travel pass for the son of the person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3741/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of the child's disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. This level of care and attention must be required to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living in areas such as mobility, personal care, feeding / diet, communication, speech / language, sleeping, behaviour, safety, sensory issues, including any other additional needs.

Eligibility for DCA is not based entirely on the type of disability or diagnosis but primarily on the impact of the child's disability, in terms of the associated overall level of care and attention required by the child compared to a child of a similar age who does not have such a disability. The decision process that applies in the consideration of whether a child meets the conditions for DCA includes the examination of all relevant factors identified as impacting on the child's additional care needs.

An application for DCA in respect of the child concerned was received by my Department on 24 July 2024. A Deciding Officer disallowed the claim as per decision dated 09 September 2024. Based on the information provided, the child was not considered to satisfy the conditions for DCA. This determination considered the supporting medical evidence that was provided by the applicant in their application. The Deciding Officer also had regard to the professional opinion of a departmental Medical Assessor in making their decision and a copy of this opinion was issued to the applicant for information along with the decision notification.

The applicant requested a review of the above decision. Following a review of their application in respect of the child concerned, including all information and evidence available at the time of the original decision and all further information and documentary evidence that was provided in support of their review request, a Deciding Officer decided not to revise the above decision as per review decision dated 27 November 2024. No further requests for a review and/or appeal of the decision have been received.

Please note there is no associated travel pass available with the Domiciliary Care Allowance payment.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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158. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there is additional support available for women on maternity leave who have been temporarily relegated to half-rate carer’s allowance, but for most of that period will be in a position to provide full-time care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3742/25]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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159. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are plans to provide additional supports for women on maternity leave who have been relegated to half-rate carer’s allowance temporarily, but for most of that period will be in a position to provide full-time care, for example, additional child support payments, fuel allowances, and so on, given the additional income pressures they face; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3743/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 159 together.

The key role of the Department of Social Protection is that of income support for people experiencing specific contingencies that limit their ability to earn an income. These contingencies include unemployment, illness/disability and caring responsibilities. These payments reflect the fact that, people experiencing these contingencies cannot earn, or can earn only a limited employment income. The payments are accordingly intended to provide an income support to people who have no other means or resources to rely upon.

The Irish social welfare system is underpinned by a general principle of one person, one payment. Normally people qualifying for two social welfare payments only receive the higher payment for which they are eligible. However, there are a limited number of exceptions where a person may receive another payment. One such exception is half-rate Carer’s Allowance.

This arrangement allows people in receipt of particular social welfare payments, who are providing full-time care and attention, to retain their main payment and receive another payment, depending on their means, the maximum of which is equivalent to a half-rate Carer’s Allowance. A carer, in the case outlined by the Deputy, may be eligible for payment by my Department of both the full weekly rate of Maternity Benefit (currently at €289), as well as a Half-rate Carer’s Allowance - currently €130 for those aged under 66 and caring for one person.

In addition, if the Maternity Benefit recipient has adult or child dependants, they may also be entitled to an Increase for a Qualified Adult at a weekly rate of €162, along with Child Support Payments, paid at a rate of €50 per week for any children under 12 or €62 per week for children aged 12 or over. The set rate of Maternity Benefit is compared to the rate of Illness Benefit that would be paid to them if they were absent from work through illness. The higher of the two rates is paid.

It is important to note that some employers will continue to pay an employee, in full, while the employee is on maternity leave. In such cases, the Maternity Benefit is mandated to the employer. An employee’s contract of employment will outline the employer’s agreed financial contribution to the employee while they are on maternity or parent’s leave.

I can assure the Deputy that I will keep the range of income supports provided by my department under constant review. However, any further changes to income supports provided could only be considered in an overall policy and Budgetary context.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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160. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he can explain the decision to decline disability allowance for a young lady (details supplied) who has been receiving domiciliary care allowance for over ten years, despite no change in her medical condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3745/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and the habitual residency conditions.

Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is payable in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. The person concerned was a care recipient on DCA until they reached 16.

There is no automatic transition from DCA to DA. An application must be made for DA and the individual will have to satisfy the qualifying criteria of this scheme. The qualifying conditions for DA differ from those applying to DCA.

I confirm that the department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 19 November 2024. Based on the evidence supplied with the person’s application, her DA was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition was not satisfied.

The person concerned was notified of the decision in writing on 11 December 2024 and advised of their entitlement to request a review and/or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

On foot of further medical evidence submitted on 18 December 2024, a review of the decision was undertaken. Following an examination of additional medical evidence, the original decision was upheld. On 9 January 2025, the person concerned was notified of the decision and advised of their entitlement to request a further review and/or to appeal the decision.

A request to appeal the decision to disallow the DA of the person concerned was received on 20 January 2025. Additional correspondence containing further medical evidence, received on 23 January 2025 also requested a review and appeal.

I can confirm that a review of the case is currently being undertaken by both the DA section and the SWAO. The person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome in due course.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.