Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach, the committee and its officials. I apologise for my lateness.

I am pleased to be able to address today’s session to discuss aligning disability funding with the UNCRPD. At the outset, I acknowledge the cross-party work of this committee and its efforts in seeking to drive progress for people with disabilities in line with its remit to monitor implementation of the convention. The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities that will allow them to live ordinary lives in ordinary places, in line with commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In recent years, significant resources have been invested in disability services. This is reflected in the budget for disability services, which has increased from €1.7 billion at the close of 2017 to €2.9 billion in 2024. The additional funding allocation of €272 million for 2024 demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to building capacity in this area. The allocation for 2024 included €74 million for new developments and is helping to support in the region of 100 extra residential beds. It is also important to say, just coming off conversations about the budget, that we are looking at close to 200 beds in residential places. There has also been funding for the purposes of the HSE’s commitments to residential services under the HSE-Tusla joint protocol, 125 extra therapy assistant positions for CDNTs and 1,250 to 1,400 further day services places for school leavers. After meeting with officials today, I know 1,500 school leavers actually availed of the services. The funding allocated was also for an increase in the provision of personal assistance of 80,000 hours, development of further respite provision and development of capacity for community rehabilitation. I suppose what I should really say is that when I tell the committee I have gone over in some areas, this means I have overspent a little bit. That is what the officials are telling me.

Although the extra funding in budget 2024 was 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 was delighted to launch this plan with the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, and the CEO of the HSE in December of last year. Working in tandem with the action plan is a road map for service improvement in children’s services. The road map contains an important set of actions that, collectively, will enhance children’s disability services in Ireland. They include significant measures to integrate and improve access to services, expand the workforce and advance better communication and engagement with families.

In March, I was delighted to announce the launch of the disability participation and awareness fund for 2024, which has a strong focus on supporting persons with disabilities in their own communities with a view to increasing participation across the country. The €3.5 million fund will help to promote disability awareness and training in local communities, increase participation among disabled people in social, cultural, arts and sporting activities and support pathways for young people with disabilities in transitioning through education. In May, a HSE person-centred planning resource was launched to support people with a disability who avail of adult disability services to make their own choices and decisions while planning for the future. The resources include information on person-centred planning for adults with a disability, information on the role of families and circle of support and an e-learning module for staff with certification. In July, I announced €23 million in capital funding for disability capital projects in 2024 and I have asked the HSE to develop the first ever disability-specific multi-annual capital strategy. In August, the autism innovation strategy was published. It aims to provide the building blocks for a more inclusive society, where autistic people are understood and have equity of opportunity to participate in cultural, social and economic life and lead meaningful and fulfilled lives as valued members of the community.

These are just a few examples of the work ongoing across the system to ensure our disability services are aligned with the UNCRPD. Many other developments are, of course, under way that are fundamentally critical to this ambition, including the development of the next national disability strategy. My priority in budget 2025 is to secure funding to further increase service capacity and enhance our forward-planning capability to deliver services that support persons with a disability to live a life of their own choosing in their communities.

I look forward to hearing the views of the members on how we can work together to build on this progress and continue to align funding for disability services with the UNCRPD. I thank the Chair.