Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

885. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the methodology used by the HSE when setting annual performance targets in its National Service Plan, in particular for disability and children’s services; if those targets are based on available staffing and capacity data; and if not, to explain the rationale for maintaining aspirational 100% targets despite sustained underperformance. [62787/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A total of €3.88 billion has been allocated for disability services in Budget 2026, representing a 20% increase year on year. This includes funding to maintain existing levels of service and for new service developments. This is the largest ever increase in a single budget for Disability Services delivering an increase of €1.8 billion (or 87%) in investment in disability services since 2020. This increase is being provided by Government in recognition of the pressures prevailing within the system of service delivery, both in terms of sustainability and the need for expansion to meet increasing demand.

In accordance with the statutory framework, I issued the Letter of Determination to the Chair of the Health Service Executive on the 30th of October 2025, following consultation with the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Services and the Minister for Health, and officials from the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. This step initiates the requirement for the HSE to prepare and submit the 2026 National Service Plan (NSP), Capital Plan and Disability Pay and Numbers Strategy.

The Letter of Determination sets out my priorities with clear instructions that development of the NSP, and associated disability service targets, be guided by national policy commitments and supported by strategic reforms designed to strengthen and expand the delivery, quality, and sustainability of services and supports for people with disabilities and their families. Framing the NSP 2026 within this context will ensure alignment with the Government’s overarching priorities for service expansion within an integrated model of delivery, disability inclusion, person-centred service design, and effective governance.

The NSP will take account of these priorities and align with broader policy commitments relating to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) through the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People launched in September 2025. Specific service targets in the plan are developed on the basis of optimising outcomes from available resources. Targets will be informed by data and evidence on current and future demands for services, including population demographics and service needs.

In relation to Children’s services, our key focus is on improving access, quality and performance across all areas of children’s services (including CDNT, AON, Respite, Residential) within the remit of and funded by the Department. This work includes complementary and overlapping functions such as the Single Point of Access.