Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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438. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the number of advocacy services for persons with disabilities to 60. [11209/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board (CIB), a statutory body under the aegis of my Department. CIB has a mandate under the Citizens Information Act 2007 to provide advocacy for people with disabilities.

NAS provides a free and confidential issues-based representative advocacy service to adults with a disability. NAS has a particular remit for people with disabilities who are isolated from their community and services, have communication differences, are inappropriately accommodated, live in residential services, attend day services or have limited informal or natural supports.

The number of permanent whole-time equivalent Advocate posts in NAS is currently 28.

Based on 2023 costs, the table below shows the estimated full-year costs of increasing the number of Advocates to 60, which is an increase of 32 whole-time equivalent posts. Estimates are based on Point 1 and Point 3 on the Advocate salary scale. The figures do not include provision for any additional salary, administrative or managerial costs that may arise from any such potential increase in Advocate posts.