Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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275. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a domiciliary care allowance application for the daughter of a person (details supplied) for who it is documented and has medical difficulties; if serious consideration will be given to granting this allowance due to these difficulties and the level of care required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35061/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is 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.

An application for DCA in respect of their child was received from the person concerned on 22 May 2025.

A Deciding Officer has disallowed the application for DCA in respect of the person concerned as per decision letter dated 23 June 2025, on the grounds that the child was not considered to satisfy the above conditions for DCA. As part of the decision process, the Deciding Officer had regard to the professional opinion of a departmental Medical Assessor (MA) in making their decision and a copy of that MA opinion was issued with the decision letter.

If the person concerned thinks this decision is incorrect, the options open to them are:

• They have a right to request a review of the decision by a Deciding Officer by contacting this office with any extra evidence they think is relevant.
• They have a right to appeal this decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).