Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1088. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the current funding model for disability day services, particularly the standard six-hour day, with a view to extending service hours for adults with disabilities in line with their needs and the increasing complexity of service users. [48573/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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HSE-funded day programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, or complex physical disabilities include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. Access to services is based on an individual’s needs rather than on their diagnosis. The focus is on supporting people to participate in the mainstream activities and in the life of their community, in line with their wishes and needs.

Day services are a vital support for adult with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers by end of May to confirm placements to young people and their families. In many instances young people due to leave school at end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June so there is a natural transition into day services in September.

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.

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 have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1089. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider providing ongoing revenue funding to disability service providers for transport staffing, in addition to once-off capital grants for vehicles, to ensure equitable access to day services for individuals living in dispersed rural communities such as those in County Roscommon. [48574/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE provides specialist disability services, including Day Services and Rehabilitative Training, to people with disabilities who require such services, and people with intellectual disabilities would form the majority of service users who are supported by these services. While day service funding does not include transport, some transport supports are provided by the HSE or funded agencies on a discretionary basis, and a variety of transport solutions are pursued in different CHO areas. These include travel training to enable public transport to be used, where appropriate, local transport such as Local Link, private bus transport and taxis, and some service providers provide transport where capacity exists.

In general, day service users are in receipt of disability allowance and are automatically entitled to the Free Travel Pass.

The HSE have been working with the National Transport Authority on this issue of transport to day services, through the ‘Open Routes’ project. Open Routes is based on the idea that transport to HSE services such as day services would be best served by accessible local public transport such as the Local Link, transporting people to their day services, but also serving the wider local community as well with enhanced public transport provision.

The approach is being piloted in Leitrim. The NTA advise that the Integrated Pilot Project was developed in close collaboration with the HSE, with a revised network that is designed to meet the needs of mainstream public transport users as well as the transport needs of passengers with disabilities and those accessing health care services in the county.

To date all feedback with regard to the pilot from stakeholders such as HSE, day service providers, external stakeholders and passengers has been very positive. In addition to the positive feedback, passenger numbers on Regular Rural Services has grown considerably since the introduction of the revised TFI Local Link network for County Leitrim. This is a model that could be applied in other parts of the country, with the NTA leading on this and working closely with local partners such as the HSE.

Under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, the Department of Transport has responsibility for the continued development of accessibility and availability of accessible public transport.

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.

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 have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1090. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the impact of underfunded disability day services on families, particularly in rural areas, where one family member may be required to leave employment to provide care due to limited service hours and transport availability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48592/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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HSE-funded day programmes for people with intellectual disabilities, autism, or complex physical disabilities include a range of centre-based and community-based activities. Access to services is based on an individual’s needs rather than on their diagnosis. The focus is on supporting people to participate in the mainstream activities and in the life of their community, in line with their wishes and needs.

Day services are a vital support for adult with disabilities to participate in the life of their community and to realise their own ambitions and desires. The majority of young people due to leave school in a given year that require a HSE funded day service have been profiled by the end of the previous year to establish their support needs. Once needs are identified, referrals are made to the service provider of choice, funding is committed and negotiations are concluded with providers by end of May to confirm placements to young people and their families. In many instances young people due to leave school at end of June are introduced to their day services for trialling purposes during April, May and June so there is a natural transition into day services in September.

As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1091. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the strategic planning underway to ensure disability day services in rural Ireland are adequately resourced to meet growing demand; and whether her Department will engage with service providers such as an organisation (details supplied) to address long-standing funding and transport challenges. [48593/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1092. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide additional funding to an organisation (details supplied) to support the delivery of adult disability day services in County Roscommon, in view of increasing complexity of service users and the geographic spread of provision across multiple towns. [48594/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1093. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will review the current six-hour standard day for adult disability services, as applied to an organisation (details supplied), with a view to extending service hours to better reflect the needs of service users and reduce the burden on families. [48595/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1094. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding the level of core funding allocated to an organisation (details supplied) in County Roscommon for the delivery of disability services; and whether this funding reflects the increasing complexity of service users and geographic spread of provision across the county. [48598/25]

Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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1095. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider extending the standard duration of adult disability day services from six to eight hours per day, particularly in counties such as Roscommon where services are delivered by providers such as an organisation (details supplied); and whether such an extension would be supported by additional funding to enable families especially parents to return to work and maintain their own lives alongside caring responsibilities. [48599/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1091, 1092, 1093, 1094 and 1095 together.

The Deputy may wish to be aware that my Department does not directly fund any charitable voluntary groups. Under Section 39 of the 2004 Health Act funding is provided by the Health Service Executive. I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to you directly in relation to this matter, as soon as possible.