David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I recognise that additional funding has been made available for disability services over the last number of years.

Unfortunately, a lot of the additional funding - we had the same debate in the area of mental health - is eaten up by existing levels of service, which means that it does not provide additional capacity. I accept that additional capacity has been put in place, but it is nowhere near what is required to meet the capacity review. The only way we will make sure that is done is to have a comprehensive plan set out over a reasonable time period. The plan was meant to be a ten-year one. We are two years in, but we do not have sight of a plan or a costing model. There is also the accountability element. The advocate groups I meet tell me they do not believe the additional funding that was made available in recent years, which the Minister of State described as record-breaking, is anywhere near enough to start addressing the deficits and difficulties we have. We are still way behind where we need to be on decongregation and many other critical elements of that capacity review. I look forward to the publication of the plan. I will judge it when I see it. I hope we can see it as soon as possible.

See this speech in context