Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
860. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection if an official diagnosis with assessment of need report is compulsory in an application for domiciliary care allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12274/26]
View answer864. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason it is necessary for parents to provide a burden of proof in the form of an assessment report, which cannot be obtained due to long waiting list, for assessment of needs for children for an application for domiciliary care allowance; when an application form and medical report is all that is currently required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12567/26]
View answer865. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if an official diagnosis, along with an assessment report, is a compulsory requirement when granting domiciliary care allowance, as the applicants are only required to submit an application form and medical report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12568/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 860, 864 and 865 together.
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 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.
When reviewing an application for Domiciliary Care Allowance, the claim is first referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their opinion. Medical Assessors are fully qualified and experienced practitioners who provide a second opinion to that of the person's own doctor for the guidance of the Department's Deciding Officers.
The assessment of the substantial extra and continual care needs of children with childhood development and behavioural disorders is more challenging compared to other childhood conditions given the wide spectrum of manifestation of conditions and bearing in mind the age attainment of developmental milestones. In all cases, determinations on eligibility for DCA are based on all of the medical and care needs information provided with the application and while specialist or assessment reports can be helpful in making quality and efficient decisions, they are not mandatory.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
