asked the Minister for Health if he will consider having domiciliary allowance paid to parents of retarded children who are attending school.

The attendance of a retarded child as a day pupil at school does not preclude the payment of an allowance under the domiciliary care allowance scheme if the other conditions of eligibility for such allowance are fulfilled. The allowance is not, of course, payable in the case of a child who is cared for in a residential school.

Will the Minister not agree that only in a very few cases is an allowance under the domiciliary care allowance scheme paid to children attending school?

In respect of children going to day school the domiciliary care is provided. It is not provided for children in residential schools because they get care and attention there.