Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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52. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth he steps he taking to increase the number of full-time residential places available to persons with intellectual and-or physical disabilities, in view of the critical shortage of such places; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25485/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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This Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which help empower them to live their best lives.

Residential services make up the largest part of the specialist community-based disability services funding currently disbursed by the HSE. As of March 2023, the HSE is funding a total of 8,330 existing residential placement delivered predominately by section 38 and section 39 organisations funded under the Health Act 2004.

The HSE National Service Plan 2023 provides for the support of additional residential placements across a range of service need including 43 new placements, 23 residential packages for young people aging out of TUSLA placements, 18 delayed transfers of care, additional transitions of young people under 65 inappropriately placed in nursing homes and further moves from congregated settings.

The further expansion of services, including residential places, will be the subject of appropriate engagements in the context of the 2024 estimates process.

It is important too to refer to the Review of Disability Social Care Demand and Capacity Requirements to 2032, which was published in July 2021. The review sets out the additional capacity required in specialist disability social care services in light of anticipated demographic changes, and addresses the gap between available services and the level of unmet need. It is intended to address the capacity deficits in a phased approach over this period.

As the deputy will be aware, in March of this year, responsibility for specialist community-based disability services moved from Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

An Action Plan for Disability Services has been developed by an interdepartmental working group to progress action on the findings of the Capacity Review. While there have been some delays in publishing the draft Plan, now that the transfer of functions has been completed it is intended that progress in this area will be accelerated.

The developments planned for 2023 within the available funding will improve services for many, but the scale of need identified in the Capacity Review report will require the finalisation and implementation of the Disability Action Plan.