Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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357. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he has any plans to extend the domiciliary care allowance from 16 to 18 years of age; if he has a timeframe on this introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22972/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly non-means-tested payment of €360 to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability. The child must require care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age.

Eligibility is not based on a specific disability or diagnosis, but rather on the impact of the condition and the level of care and attention required by the child.

From January 2025, the rate of payment increased from €340 to €360 per month. As of April, there were 58,801 families receiving the payment in relation to 66,544 children. Expenditure in 2025 is estimated at over €301 million.

Domiciliary Care Allowance stops being paid when a child reaches 16 years of age. This aligns with the age of eligibility for Disability Allowance. If the young person continues to have a disability that significantly impacts their daily life, they can then apply for a Disability Allowance payment in their own name of €244 per week. If their parent or guardian continues to provide full-time care they can then retain, or apply for, a carer's payment.

Any future reform of disability payments will be considered as part of a broader government review and will take account of the feedback from the recent Green Paper process.