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Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: One of the solutions is the one-door approach where no matter where you go, in through primary care, CAMHS or CDNT, you are not just referred over to another waiting list. That is something that Bernard Gloster is working on. This comes back to the strategy and the whole-of-Government approach. Primary care is the responsibility of the Minister for Health. I and the Minister, Deputy...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: This is a matter for the Minister for Health but we are all connected when it comes to that single point of access. I wish to point to the topic of therapists in schools for children. We are now ramping this up. I would like to see that connection between the in-school therapists, the CDNTs and the multidisciplinary team when we are going into schools with the highest needs. This will...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I am happy to engage with the Deputy relating to that. At a general level, where a person has a disability, and I have different groups coming in to me, we want to see they have access to those multidisciplinary teams. If there is something specialist - I am not an expert in the area and maybe something else is required in that space where if a person needs the services - they get access to...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: That would be a good opportunity to raise with Tusla and ask what the issues are. We can feed that up the line. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has responsibility over Tusla, as well as disability. It is about identifying the issues for Tusla and the access to what services to ensure we are aware of it. That would be helpful.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy. On alternative respite and who decides, data is really important but the HSE decides in conjunction with the Department. Alternative respite is really important. I am of the view that we also need overnight respite and we cannot just have one over the other. To answer the question, it is the HSE in conjunction with the Department. Respite is largely provided by...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Work is ongoing with that. As the Deputy knows, the backlog of assessments of need is growing. It has increased from a low of just under 2,000 in 2021, when the preliminary team assessments were used, to almost 15,300 at the end of March of this year. The HSE has estimated the backlog could reach almost 24,800 applications by the end of this year.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: That is their estimation. We have been looking at recruitment and retention issues, putting more therapists through our third level institutions, looking at therapy assistance and putting therapists into our special schools. We also have looked at recruitment drives, both domestically and internationally. Some Departments ask for assessments of need, indirectly or not, and drive that...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: There has been an increase in the number of assessments of need carried out. There was a 30% increase of completed assessments of need in 2024 compared with 2023. Similarly, in the first quarter of this year, there was a 65% increase in the completed applications compared to the same period last year. Part of that is due to the private sector coming in and helping to carry out the...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I cannot see a situation where we are not using the private sector. We have to use everything we can on this. We will resource our CDNTs and carry out recruitment drives but we will certainly need the private sector.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I am not trying to fob it off but on the single door access, that is a matter for Bernard Gloster. He will be reporting back to our Cabinet committee on where that is at. On therapists in schools, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is rolling that out. I have an update here for the Deputy with figures on that one because the pilot is under the Department of education. I will come back to the...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Employment will be a big priority in this disability strategy. We have already increased the wage subsidy scheme for employers. That is to incentivise them to take on more people with a disability. A culture change is needed there. From my travelling around the country and talking to employers who have employed somebody with a disability, it has transformed the culture within their...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I answered it earlier. There have been four rolled out across the country in the community.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I will come back to the Deputy on that. Transport in the context of disability is an issue right across the country.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: Housing in the disability space is going to be part of this strategy. The Minister for housing, Deputy Browne, will be involved in that section of the strategy where there is going to be a step change on disability matters. There will be all kinds of housing there. The Deputy is right. At the moment, if your house is accessible it is accessible for a visitor, but not for someone who is...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (3 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The HSE provides specialist disability services, including Day Services and Rehabilitative Training, to people with disabilities who require such services, and people with intellectual disabilities would form the majority of service users who are supported by these services. While day service funding does not include transport, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (3 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (3 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (3 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The HSE provides a range of assisted living services including Personal Assistance (PA) Services to support individuals to maximise their capacity to live full and independent lives. PA is provided either directly by the HSE or indirectly though a range of voluntary and private service providers. The average rate for PA service delivery is currently €25 per hour. The estimated...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (3 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: The Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026 represents the first phase of implementing the recommendations of the Disability Capacity Review to 2032. It sets out a range of actions designed to provide better access to disability services. It intends to maximise the impact of service delivery through strategic change and to enable better planning and management through improved...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Assisted Decision-Making (3 Jul 2025)

Hildegarde Naughton: I thank the Deputy for their question regarding the online application process for Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs) under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, 2015. EPAs are a vital advance planning tool that enable adults to plan ahead for a time when they may have diminished decision-making capacity, ensuring that a person’s wishes are known and respected. The...