Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

314. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 631 of July 2025, whether any official in her Department was made aware of the former Minister of State’s commitment to a disability services provider (details supplied) after the commitment was publicly made, if so, the date on which this commitment was communicated to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38646/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I would like to assure the Deputy that the position on the funding of the service referenced is being verified with the HSE.

The Department is aware that there has been certain correspondence with the HSE on the issue of the service’s funding and that in November of last year the HSE wrote to the Deputy with information on the outcome of children’s disability service grant fund process.

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 Voluntary Organisations. The Department does not have any funding or governance relationship with the S38s and S39s.

It is important to note that, while the strategy, policy direction and overall allocation for the sector is set at Ministerial level, funding allocations to individual providers or under HSE managed grant schemes is an operational matter for the HSE as the funding authority.

I will update the Deputy on the position as soon as I am in a position to do so.