16 June 2011

Parliamentary Questions

• If assessment guidelines used by medical assessor for domiciliary care allowance appeals are publicly available
• Funding to Jack and Jill Foundation

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• If assessment guidelines used by medical assessor for domiciliary care allowance appeals are publicly available

Deputy Michael McGrath (FF): asked the Minister for Social Protection    if the assessment guidelines used by a medical assessor when considering domiciliary care allowance appeals are publicly available.

Minister for Social Protection (Deputy Joan Burton): In advance of the transfer of the domiciliary care allowance (DCA) scheme to this Department, an expert medical group was established to agree a set of consistent and objective guidelines for use nationally in determining eligibility of children for the scheme. This group was established as there were no agreed medical guidelines for the scheme while it was administered by the HSE. The group was chaired by the Department’s Chief Medical Advisor and comprised senior medical personnel from the HSE as well as eminent professionals in the areas of physical disabilities which affect children and child psychiatry/psychology. The primary purpose was to agree a set of consistent and objective guidelines for use in determining eligibility for the scheme. The report of the Group was reviewed independently by external medical experts. The report of the Expert Medical Group is available from the Department on request. A copy will be forwarded to the Deputy. 

• Funding to Jack and Jill Foundation

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl (FF): asked the Minister for Health the consideration he has given to the need to provide additional funding for an organisation (details supplied) to support its work with seriously ill young children;

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Kathleen Lynch):  The Health Service Executive (HSE) is working with the Jack and Jill Foundation to identify and prioritise the needs of each child on a case-by-case basis. The HSE will work closely with Jack and Jill to ensure that no child is hospitalised for want of adequate home support, provided by either Jack and Jill or the HSE. However, if a child needs hospital care, the HSE will provide this. I am committed to ensure that there should be a particular focus on protecting services to vulnerable groups. In 2011 the Government gave favourable treatment to disability services by setting a lower savings target for disability services of a maximum budget reduction of 1.8%. As is the case with all charities, the HSE is not in a position to provide additional funding to compensate for a drop in their private fund-raising income.

BACK TO MAIN DÁIL DEBATES & QUESTIONS PAGE