Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the committee here today in relation to expenditure for disability services and the important work it is funding. The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities, which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs. Ultimately, our aim is to provide supports and services that will allow people with disabilities to live ordinary lives in ordinary places, in line with commitments under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

We must acknowledge the difficult environment in which our service providers often operate. As we all know, 2023 has been a difficult year for households and businesses alike, with cost-of-living pressures affecting all of us. Furthermore, the provision of disability services is demand-led and therefore somewhat unpredictable, meaning that precise planning for the year ahead can be difficult. It is, however, of utmost importance that the management of public moneys be subject to the strictest scrutiny so that we can balance our twin objectives of providing services for citizens with disabilities, as well as spending prudently and efficiently.

I welcome the opportunity to re-state that the priority for the Government for 2024 will be the enhancement of person-centred supports and services, supporting the progressive roll out of the action plan for disability services, and implementing the roadmap for children’s disability services. In recent years, significant resources have been invested in disability services. This is reflected in the budget for disabilities services, which has increased from €1.7 billion at the close of 2017 to just under €2.8 billion in 2024. The additional funding allocation of €195.1 million for 2024 represents an increase of 7.6% for disability services and demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to building capacity in this area. This funding includes €61.1 million for new developments and will help provide: extra residential places; extra therapy assistant positions for children's disability network teams; further day services places for next year’s school leavers; an increase in the provision of personal assistance development of further respite provision; and development of capacity for community neurorehabilitation.

The extra funding sought in this Supplementary Estimate is €112.5 million. This funding is required to cover demand for additional services, increased service costs, the 2023 cost of the pay deal for the section 39 organisations, as well as the extra Christmas payments for those in receipt of blind welfare, the mobility allowance and the rehabilitative training grant.

The bulk of the supplementary ask, which is €98 million, relates to meeting cost pressures in service delivery, primarily residential services, through the provision of crisis-driven placements procured from for-profit providers, the changing profile of those seeking services, as well the cost of funding placements for young people with disabilities ageing out of Tusla’s care.

The funding received for new developments in 2024 will be used in areas specifically targeted to mitigate these pressures. For example, we will be aiming to provide a larger portion of new residential places, as well as increasing provision of respite to promote family resilience. Though the extra funding in budget 2024 is welcome, we know there is more to do, which is why we have developed a comprehensive action plan to help improve and expand services out to 2026. I very much look forward to launching this plan very soon. This action plan contains a range of actions designed to increase service capacity and increase our forward-planning capability. It is, however, a plan that will take time to come to fruition and allow us to comprehensively meet people’s evolving needs. We can, therefore, reasonably expect cost pressures to arise in the coming years, which will be closely monitored and mitigated. Part of our programme of improvement post-transfer also involves implementing better controls and oversight of spending to ensure we are providing the vital community services for people with disabilities, while responsibly and effectively managing public moneys.

This is a period of transition and transformation for community disability services, following the transfer of functions last March. As the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, I am committed to seizing this opportunity to make a real tangible difference in the lives of people with disabilities.