Written answers
Tuesday, 29 July 2025
Department of Children, Disability and Equality
Disability Services
Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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2266. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will commit to providing ring-fenced funding to address the current and historic financial deficits experienced by voluntary disability service providers such as an organisation (details supplied). [40908/25]
Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 voluntary sector organisations. While the Department sets the strategy, policy direction and the overall allocation for the disability sector, funding allocations to individual service providers is an operational matter for the HSE as the funding authority.
In total, €3.2 billion is allocated for HSE Disability Services in 2025, which represents an 11.6% increase in funding from last year. Overall, the Disability Services Budget has increased by €1.2 billion since 2020.
In Budget 2025, we recognised the challenges that prevail in the disability sector. These challenges include the increased cost of service provision, pay cost pressures and service provider sustainability. In recognition of this, of the additional €333 million invested through Budget 2025, €290 million was allocated to voluntary disability services. The Department has also provided supplementary funding to the HSE to ensure no disruption to disability service delivery.
Please note that the level of funding available to each Government department is being considered as part of the national Estimates and budgetary process for 2026, which is currently underway. Pending completion of this process, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.
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