Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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510. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to increase the upper age limit for domiciliary care allowance eligibility from 16 to 18 years old; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15423/25]

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.

One of the key proposals in the Green Paper on Disability Reform was to extend the upper age limit for Domiciliary Care Allowance and the lower age limit for Disability Allowance to 18 years of age. The Green Paper was a consultation document. Based on the feedback received during the public consultation the process was discontinued.

Any future reform of disability payments, will be considered as part of a 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.