Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Seanad Éireann resolves that the Disability (Personalised Budgets) Bill 2024 be read a second time this day 18 months, to allow for the completion of a Personalised Budget Demonstrator Pilot which is expected to conclude at the end of the year."

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important Bill and contribute as Fianna Fáil spokesperson for disability, children and equality. Fianna Fáil welcomes this debate. We support the intention behind the Bill and the time amendment of 18 months proposed by the Minister, Deputy Foley, to ensure we proceed in a thoughtful, informed and effective manner.

This legislation seeks to amend and extend the Disability Act 2005 in a meaningful way to make it a legal obligation for the State to provide the option of a personalised budget to eligible disabled adults. This is not simply about funding; it is also about freedom, dignity and self-determination. At its heart, a personalised budget enables a person to take control of how their support needs are met. Rather than being slotted into a one-size-fits-all service package, individuals can design the support that best suits their lives, choosing who delivers their care, when it is delivered and how it is delivered. In short, it is a step towards true autonomy for disabled people in this country. That is a vision that Fianna Fáil shares.

However, we also understand the complexity of turning this vision into a reality. Ireland's current system of disability funding is rooted in a model of block grants whereby services receive funding based on the number of people they serve, not on the actual needs or preferences of the individual. We must remember that the individual is the most important person. This arrangement inevitably limits flexibility. It means that to implement personalised budgets effectively, we must unbundle the costs of services – that is, break down the funding assigned to each person and redirect it in a way that follows the individual and not the institution. This is where the promise of the personalised budget demonstrator pilot becomes so critical. Launched in 2019, this pilot program has provided a valuable testing ground. It has offered the first real chance to learn directly from participants to see what works and what does not, and to see what empowers people and what gets in the way and in their way. We are now in the final phase of evaluating that pilot, and its findings will be vital in informing a national roll-out.

Already, we know that implementing personalised budgets involves significant cultural and administrative change. For service providers, it means a shift from managing groups to supporting individuals. For families and budget holders, it means new levels of responsibility that must be backed by clear support, clear training and clear advice. For policymakers, it means careful evidence-based planning. That is why the time amendment of 18 months is not a delay but a necessity. It gives us space to digest the findings of the pilot and to develop robust structures so that when we do enshrine personalised budgets into law, we do so in a way that lasts and works.

Let us not forget the Government's clear commitment in the programme for Government to support the roll-out of personalised projects nationally. This is not a question of whether we support personalisation – we do – but of how we make it real, accessible and sustainable for thousands of individuals and their families across the country.

As spokesperson, I want to emphasise that Fianna Fáil believes deeply in the principles of equality, inclusion and choice. It believes personalised budgets offer a path forward, not just to better services but also to a more equal society where people with disabilities have the power to decide what happens in their own lives. Yes, let us proceed with ambition, but also with care. Let us build a system that works not just in theory but also in people's day-to-day reality. We support this Bill's intention and the time amendment of 18 months and we commit to working constructively with our colleagues across the House, service providers and, most of all, disabled people and their advocates to make this vision a reality. Again, we must be very conscious that the person with the disability is the main person. It is important that we never lose sight of that.