Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I can hear the passion in the Deputy's voice about the situation he is working his way through. I think it highlights a broader issue about how we empower the person with a disability and their family in terms of the budget that the State allocates to them. I know the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and others have done work in relation to this. Rather than just funding the charity or the service provider, the model of funding the individual with a personalised budget has been transformative in some areas, where we say to the young or not so young person or their family that the State is funding them and they are now empowered, rather than giving it to charity X or charity Y. Let us look further at what more we can do in relation to that model. Obviously there are residential places available and I do say that to parents, following this today. We have allocated more money this year, €15.5 million, for an additional 100 priority 1 residential placements nationally. The Deputy is quite right to highlight the issue. The demographic pressures are real in relation to this. We had a very good round-table discussion recently which involved me, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and all disability organisations and many disability representative groups in advance of budget 2025. We will reflect on the Deputy's comments and liaise directly with him on Seán.

See this speech in context