Martin forced into embarrassing climbdown

HEALTH Minister Micheál Martin has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown over penny-pinching proposals aimed at the parents of severely disabled children.

A fury-fuelling department circular to those claiming domiciliary care allowance (DCA) informing them the payment would no longer be backdated to the time of diagnosis of their child’s condition has been spiked. The cruel circular informed parents that their monthly 179.80 payment for severely disabled children cared for in the home would instead be dated from the time the application was received.

However, this proved to be a shock, not only for the parents applying for DCA, but for Mr Martin, who had not given the proposal his seal of approval. The minister, who is on holidays with his family at present, is understood to have exchanged angry words with his department officials over the embarrassing error.