Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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669. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the annual budget allocation to the Decision Support Service; the number of staff employed each year; and the amount that was spent on the garden exhibit at the Bloom Festival. [31862/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for their question regarding the Decision Support Service (DSS).

The DSS was established under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, 2015 which commenced in April 2023. The DSS began carrying out its statutory functions upon commencement of the Act, however there was a period in advance of this during which the organisation was preparing for operationalisation, including the establishment of I.T. systems.

To facilitate the performance of its duties my Department has provided the DSS with the below allocations for the years 2021-2025.

The staff employed each year are as follows:

All of this has helped to fund, staff, and promote a multi-year establishment project as well as to design and build a new public-facing State service for all adults in the State. The DSS ultimately exists to promote the rights and interests of adults who may need support with decision-making through a framework that emphasises the will and preference of each individual.

The fee for the show garden at Bloom was €50,000 plus VAT, which was the standard fee for a medium show garden as instructed by Bord Bia, who run the Bloom festival. The purpose of the 'Support Garden', which was designed by Joe Eustace, was to raise awareness, promote, and remind all Irish adults of the fundamental importance of planning ahead in all aspects of life. DSS staff handed out at least 3,000 leaflets which contained information about advance planning and contact details for their dedicated EPA helpdesk, and spoke to thousands more over the five days of the festival about the importance of planning ahead. The plants and furniture have been donated to two community-based initiatives.