Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

I move the following Revised Estimates:

Vote 25 — Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised Estimate).

That a sum not exceeding €9,709,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and for payment of certain grants.

Vote 40— Children, Disability and Equality (Further Revised Estimate).

That a sum not exceeding €6,101,872,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, for certain services administered by that Office and for the payment of grants.

I welcome the opportunity to present the Further Revised Estimates and the Revised Estimates for the children, disability and equality Vote group for 2025. The Vote group encompasses Vote 40, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, which has an overall financial allocation for 2025 of €6.028 billion for current expenditure and €100 million for capital expenditure. The 2025 allocation supports a range of key services in respect of children and young people, such as Tusla, the Child and Family Agency; early learning and care and school-age childcare; and youth participation services. The allocation also covers funding for disability services. In addition, it provides for the Government’s response to the legacy of mother and baby institutions where so many people had difficult, challenging, distressing and awful experiences. The allocation also contains funding for the areas of equality and inclusion, encompassing human rights, gender equality, LGBTQI+, Traveller and Roma and disability policy.

The Vote group also includes Vote 25, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC. IHREC is an independent public body that accounts to the Oireachtas with a mandate established under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, for which I, as Minister, have responsibility. The 2025 gross allocation for IHREC is €9.81 million.

Following the formation of the new Government, the Department has been the subject of two transfer of functions orders in 2025. Migration functions have been transferred to the Department of Justice and youth affairs functions have been transferred to the Department of Education.

The Further Revised Estimate of Expenditure for Vote 40, which is before the House today, provides for the transfer of the corresponding financial allocations. Accordingly, it reflects the fact that €2.046 billion associated with migration functions is transferring to the Department of Justice. A further €90.4 million associated with youth affairs functions is transferring to the Department of Education.

The allocation of €6.128 billion set out in the Further Revised Estimate of Expenditure for Vote 40 relates to all of the functions which remain with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. On a like-for-like comparison, this 2025 allocation is 9%, or €528.5 million, higher than the corresponding 2024 allocation. In terms of the composition of the allocation in 2025, over 97% of the Department’s funding is concentrated in four areas of the Vote. These four areas include specialist community based disability services which accounts for 53% of the total allocation; early learning and childcare which accounts for 23%; Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, which accounts for 20%; and the response to the legacy of mother and baby Institutions, including the mother and baby institutions payment scheme which stands at 2%.

I will now briefly address these areas in turn. This year my Department has secured more than €3.2 billion for disability services. This represents an increase of €171.4 million over the 2024 Supplementary Estimate allocation. This funding will allow us to support service providers to continue to do their crucial work in what is a challenging economic environment while also supporting the progressive roll-out of the action plan for disability services and the roadmap for children’s disability services. The funding will support improvement and expansion of services in areas including residential care services to respond to demand for priority placements; adult day services for new school leavers; respite, which can play a crucial role in delaying or preventing a move into full-time residential care, with 65,000 day respite sessions and 161,000 overnight respite delivered in 2024; and additional personal assistance and home supports providing for approximately 95,000 personal assistance hours and 40,000 home support hours.

Early learning and care and school-age childcare funding for 2025 stands at €1.385 billion and accounts for 23% of the Vote’s allocation. This represents an increase of €218 million, or 19%, over the 2024 Supplementary Estimate allocation. The increase in funding will support the full-year cost of the 2024 national childcare scheme rate increase. In 2025, the families of more than 200,000 children will benefit from the changes to the minimum hourly subsidy rate, from €1.40 to €2.14. It also reflects an increase in core funding for the 2025-26 programme year from September 2025 and an increased capital allocation of €26.4 million. This 2025 allocation provides for the continuation of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme, the free universal two-year pre-school programme which will benefit more than 100,000 children this year.

It provides additional funding for an increasing cohort of children with a disability availing of targeted access and inclusion model supports, numbering more than 7,000 in 2025; as well as additional funding for the extension of these supports beyond time spent in the ECCE programme, both in term and out of term.

In 2025, I will also deliver on other key commitments, including continued roll-out of the equal participation model; the delivery of the building blocks capacity grant, which was announced this week, to provide 15,000 early learning and childcare places; and a range of regulatory and quality measures. The allocation under this area is, I believe, a clear demonstration of the Government's commitment to continuing to grow investment in early learning and childcare given the benefits it confers on children and their families, society and the economy.

My Department's Estimate contains provision of approximately €1.2 billion for Tusla, which represents an increase of €63.3 million, or 6%, over the 2024 Supplementary Estimate levels. This funding will allow Tusla to continue to provide support for foster carers, with provision made for the full year costs of the increases in the weekly foster care allowances brought in part way through last year, as well as additional funding for support to foster families during the initial placement of a new foster child.

The funding will allow for expenditure on special care and residential care as well as providing for expected increases in the numbers of separated children seeking international protection.

Funding is also being provided to maintain and grow family support services and early intervention and preventative programmes across Ireland, including an expansion to the network of family resource centres. I recently opened the application process to increase the number of family resource centres.

In responding to the final report of the mother and baby homes commission of investigation, the Government approved an action plan with measures designed to respond to the priority needs and concerns of survivors. Many of these key measures are now in place and the programme for Government reaffirms the Government's commitment to continued delivery of the plan. To support implementation of the action plan, funding of €125 million is being made available in 2025. This allocation has been provided to fund a range of measures which respond to the harrowing legacy of mother and baby institutions, including the mother and baby institutions payment scheme, the complex and sensitive excavation of the former mother and baby home institution at Tuam in County Galway, the special advocate for survivors and the national centre for research and remembrance. The mother and baby institutions payments opened to applicants on 20 March last year. To date, 6,500 applications had been received and 5,700 decisions have been made.

In relation to the rest of the Vote, there are other important policy areas that will be progressed in 2025. The 2025 Estimate sees increased funding which will allow the Department to progress new national strategies on Travellers and Roma, LGBTQI+ inclusion, and women and girls. These will aim to address key equality issues and improve opportunities for diverse groups at risk of discrimination.

While the youth affairs area has transferred to the Department of Education, I would like the House to note that my Department retains important child and youth participation functions. These include a grant scheme to enable city and county councils to create and upgrade playgrounds, making them more accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for everyone. The provision of playgrounds for young children has improved in recent years, with around 960 playgrounds available in 31 councils around the country. I was pleased earlier this month to announce €500,000 in grants for 28 playgrounds and play areas around the country.

The significant resources under the Department's Vote for 2025 allow for the continuation of vital services and supports to children, young people, families, people with disabilities, survivors and those facing disadvantage or discrimination. They also provide some important opportunities for targeted development and improvement of services. Deputies may be assured that I will continue to work closely with all sectors and stakeholders as we strive to maximise positive outcomes from the resources being considered today.

I appreciate Deputies' attendance and I commend the motion to the House.

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