Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
838. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has considered expanding the domiciliary care allowance payment to children up to the age of 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11628/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraDomiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly non-means tested payment 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 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 are currently almost 62,500 families in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance in respect of just over 71,000 children. As part of Budget 2026, I increased the monthly rate of the payment by €20, bringing it to its current rate of €380 and the estimated spend on this payment in 2026 is almost €359 million.
Eligibility for Domiciliary Care Allowance stops 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 right.
Disability Allowance is a weekly means-tested income support payment for people aged 16 or over whose illness or disability means that they are substantially restricted from doing work that would be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications.
Domiciliary Care Allowance can now be applied for online, and improvements have been made to the application process to make it easier for families. Applications for Disability Allowance can be made within 3 months before the child’s 16th birthday to ensure continuity of support. If their parent or guardian continues to provide full-time care they can then retain, or apply for, a carer's payment such as Carer’s Allowance.
My department published the Green Paper on Disability Reform in September 2023 in which one of the key proposals 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 The Green Paper was a consultation document and was withdrawn following feedback from disability stakeholders.
Any future reforms to disability or carer supports, including Domiciliary Care Allowance, will be considered in the context of commitments in the Programme for Government and the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025–2030.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
