Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)

I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to respond. Day services are Health Service Executive-funded programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism or complex physical disabilities that include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. Access to services is based on an individual's needs rather than on their diagnosis. The focus is on supporting people to participate in mainstream activities and in the life of their community, in line with their wishes and their needs.

Clogher House is a day activation unit premises based in Rathcorrick, Cavan. The HSE advises that a comprehensive submission for capital funding for a new day services premises to replace Clogher House, in line with the national HSE New Directions policy for adult day services, was approved in 2024. HSE disability services and HSE Dublin north-east capital and estates concluded a tender process for a leasehold site in Cavan, which was approved in July 2025. The HSE capital and estates regional office has now issued letters to the successful and unsuccessful tenderers. Once all outstanding issues are addressed, the HSE will look at engaging with the preferred provider on milestones and a programme of delivery.

Government investment has enabled the replacement of much-needed service locations such as Clogher House, Rathcorrick, and within the sector the New Directions policy has guided a major programme of change to reconfigure adult services, based on the core values of person-centredness, community inclusion, active citizenship and high-quality service provision. There are over 20,000 individuals with a disability in receipt of day services, together with a further 2,049 in rehabilitative training services. These services are provided at 1,091 locations around the country by 97 service providers. A total of €3.8 billion has been allocated for specialist disability services in budget 2026. That represents nearly a 20% increase year on year. This includes funding for a new cohort of 1,400 school leavers and in the order of 50 day service places for non-school leavers - for example, people who acquire a disability later in life.

I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter.