Written answers
Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Disability Services
Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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237. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to clarify the new funding provided for disability services in Budget 2024; to provide a breakdown of the allocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45752/23]
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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In recent years, significant resources have been invested in disability services. Building on previous years, an unprecedented level of funding of almost €2.8bn for Disability services has been allocated for 2024. This follows substantial increases in recent budgets and reflects this Government’s commitment to strengthening the funding provided for the disability sector and working to act to address the shortfalls identified in the Disability Capacity Review.
In Budget 2024, €195.1m in additional funding was provided for disability services. €131m was for Existing Level of Service which includes provision for the full year cost of 2023 New Development Measures, and €64.1m was for the following 2024 New Development Measures.
| Measure | Funding |
|---|---|
| Residential Placements for Children and Adults | €20.5m |
| Respite | €10m |
| Day Services – School Leavers | €18.2m |
| Children’s Services | €8.5m |
| Other initiatives including PA Hours and Neurological Community Supports | €6.9m |
In addition, €18m in non-core funding was provided to address service pressures that arose during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding available in 2024 will facilitate the progressive roll-out of the Action Plan for Disability Services and the Progressing Disability Services (PDS) Roadmap. These strategic plans will provide a blueprint for building capacity in services over a number of years, to progressively address unmet need in disability services.
The precise level of delivery of services for people with disabilities, based on the funding provided in the Budget, will be set out in the HSE's National Service Plan for 2024.
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