Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the essential role provided by Section 39 organisations, including the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), who provide important services to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Across the disability sector, I am aware that some providers are experiencing ongoing challenges recruiting to maximum capacity. Staff recruitment and retention challenges are reflective of issues affecting the wider health and social care sector, and impacting the ability of the HSE and other disability service providers to deliver services on behalf of the State.

It is important to note that Section 39 service providers, such as the IWA and others, are not public bodies. These organisations are independently owned and operated. Their terms and conditions of employment, once in line with employment legislation, are strictly between the private sector employers and their employees. While they are private organisations, it is accepted that their ability to determine pay and conditions of their staff, is highly dependent on State funding.

For these reasons, and to support the sustainability of services, the government proactively engaged with a Workplace Relations Commission process with unions representing Section 39, Section 56 and Section 10 organisations in 2023. The agreement reached last October committed to a significant increase of investment in the sectors, amounting to a phased 8% increase in funding for pay for staff in Section 39, Section 56 and Section 10 voluntary organisations. Arrangements to disperse the additional funding to disability sector providers are being actively managed by the HSE, with resources dedicated to assisting employers to secure the additional funding needed to provide pay increases to their staff.

Following the Capacity Review undertaken in 2021, the subsequent Disability Action Plan was published on the 14th December 2023. The Action Plan underpins Government commitment to the expansion of services for people with disabilities and aims to progressively address unmet need by enhancing and reforming services, including through the creation of additional disability service posts and recruitment to these positions. The Government has demonstrated its commitment to people with disabilities through increasing levels of funding, with a record €2.9 billion being provided in 2024 for specialist services, including €74m under the first year of the Disability Action Plan.

Increasing the Disability Services workforce is a key enabler for enhancing services and the Department is working closely with the HSE in this regard. Under the leadership of Minister Anne Rabbitte, an Interdepartmental Workforce Steering Group has been established focused on identifying solutions and directing efforts to address workforce supply needs in all sectors of Disability Services.