Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 May 2025
92. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider amending the rules of the domiciliary care allowance so that the payment is extended for the care of children up to 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21390/25]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance is a non-means-tested payment of €360 per month 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 for Domiciliary Care Allowance is not based on the disability or diagnosis, but rather on the impact of the disability in terms of the level of care and attention required by the child. There is no restriction on the number of children for whom a person may claim the payment. In other words, where a person is caring for more than one child who qualifies for Domiciliary Care Allowance, they may claim the monthly allowance for each.
From January 2025, the rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance increased from €340 to €360 per month. As of March, there were 58,416 families in receipt of the payment in relation to 66,044 children. Expenditure in 2025 is estimated at over €301 million.Domiciliary Care Allowance claims have increased over 100% since 2015, with a 50% increase in the past five years.Domiciliary Care Allowance ceases to be payable when a child reaches 16 years of age. This is aligned with the age of eligibility for Disability Allowance. If the young person continues to suffer from a disability that significantly impacts their daily living activities, they can then apply for a Disability Allowance payment in their own name of €244 per week and, in addition, if their parent or guardian continues to provide full-time care they can then retain, or apply for, a Carers payment.
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.
