Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 April 2026
60. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if early onset dementia is recognised as a condition to qualify for disability allowance or illness benefit; the engagement his officials have had with any representative organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31334/26]
View answerDisability Allowance is a payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of their age, experience or qualifications. The allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement.
Illness Benefit is a weekly payment that a person may get if they cannot work due to illness. To qualify for Illness Benefit, a person must be under pensionable age, be medically certified as unfit for work by a medical doctor and meet the social insurance (PRSI) conditions.
Eligibility for my Department’s disability related income support schemes is not dependent on the type or category of illness or disability. Rather, entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.
Every application for the Department's schemes is individually assessed, in line with the provisions specified in the relevant social welfare legislation. In the case of disability related payments, the assessment includes the medical information provided by healthcare providers and the claimant, and takes into account the opinion of the Department’s Medical Assessor.
In addition to its broader stakeholder meetings and customer engagement activities, and ad-hoc meetings my Department consults with disabled people and their representatives through a wide range of approaches including:
• the quarterly Disability Consultative Forum;
• public consultations;
• meetings with the Community and Voluntary Pillar (CVP) twice per year;
• the Annual Pre-Budget and Post Budget Fora;
• the annual Social Inclusion Forum; and
• the annual Carers Forum.
• I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
