I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Collins to the House. I appreciate him coming. He has vast experience and involvement in local community policing and recognises its importance. County councillors from all parties, including the Minister of State's, and Independents have raised serious concerns about the Department of justice decision to scrap joint policing committees. I am a pragmatist and a realist. Those decisions were endorsed by the Houses of the Oireachtas. I tabled a number of amendments on to this in support of some of the concerns of the councillors who contacted me through their representative bodies, LAMA and the AILG. However, they were not successful. The reality is that we have to deal with what is on the ground now. The Minister of State knows that from 2006, the joint policing committees worked very well. They were a collaboration between An Garda Síochána, community representatives, volunteers, educational stakeholders, business and enterprise stakeholders and more. They were engaged with minority groups and so on. It was overall a good experience and a collaborative approach that worked well. Any garda you meet, from the lowest to the highest rank, will tell you that the joint policing committees worked well and were collaborative. That is critically essential when dealing with community issues, particularly in the area of community policing.

We now have local community safety partnerships, LCSPs. The concern expressed by county councillors on the ground and indeed by Senators and Deputies who were at the table for joint policing committee meetings is that they are perceived as an erosion of local democracy, engagement and accountability. I refer also to the knowledge of local politicians, be they Oireachtas Members or councillors, who represent their constituencies. One of the great things about our democracy is that our politicians are on the ground. I have no doubt the Minister of State will be around Limerick later today and tomorrow. Accessibility to our politicians at all levels is good and they are picking up information all the time themselves. Many councillors, Deputies and Senators will no longer have a seat at the table to engage with the garda responsible in the context of the LCSPs. Of course they will have opportunities to engage as gardaí and public representatives like to engage, and that is an important point to make. It has been put to me that the structures are fundamentally undemocratic. They are reducing the role of the elected members and increasing the power to statutory bodies. Statutory bodies have many opportunities to convey their concerns for their stakeholders and the groups and segments they represent. Is it really necessary to put them in on this structure? Councillors will say that their powers, audience and right to be heard are now becoming limited. We have seen the erosion of many aspects of the role of our city and county councillors.

I know that the Minister, Deputy Jim O'Callaghan will reject many of these arguments. He has said on the record that he has considered the matters. I am asking for clarity. If not today, maybe the Minister of State's officials could send out a briefing note on it. Who will actually chair each of these 31 new policing partnerships? Is it fully open to a city or county councillor to be considered? Some of them are being told "No", or that they have to go through different processes. There is inconsistency across the 31 local authorities. We need some clarity on that. Could the Department could send out a memo to sitting county councillors in order that they can understand what is going on? I am asking the Minister of State to take it back to the Department. We need to trust our city and county councillors. We need to engage with them and empower them in this collaborative approach with An Garda Síochána for policing. I know the Minister of State has every confidence in our city and county councillors, as I do, to engage respectfully and meaningfully on behalf of their communities. The issue is when all of these 31 committees will be established. Let us engage with our city and county councillors on this issue and give them as much information as possible. I ask for uniformity and consistency in the approach in supporting our city and county councillors in local community policing.

I thank the Senator for raising this issue. To create safe communities, we must go beyond policing alone, we must work together in partnership. We must take a strategic, solution-focused approach that is proactive rather than reactive. Local community safety partnerships represent a significant step towards a more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven model of public safety. I am pleased that members have been appointed to eight local community safety partnerships. Further members will be appointed across October and November with a view to establishing all safety partnerships by the end of the year. I know in my own local authority area of Limerick City and County Council, at this month's municipal and metropolitan area meetings they are discussing and populating the LCSP.

The first meeting of an LCSP took place in Wexford on 30 September, when members elected their own chair and vice chair.

It is anticipated that the other partnerships will hold their first meetings in the coming weeks. I will get the Senator clear guidance on the election or appointment of the chairpersons but I know that local authorities did ask for expressions of interest, at least in Limerick. I am sure other local authorities put out a call for expressions of interest from people who would be interested in being considered for election as chairperson.

The LCSPs are designed to empower communities by giving residents, local groups and businesses a meaningful voice in shaping local safety initiatives. They will play a major role in enhancing public safety alongside An Garda Síochána, residents, businesses and State agencies. The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which the Minister commenced on 2 April 2025, provides for the establishment of local community safety partnerships, which will operate at each local authority level. The regulations for these safety partnerships came into operation on Monday, 30 June and a total of 36 LCSPs can now be established. Each safety partnership will be led by a voluntary chair and supported by a full-time co-ordinator and administrator. The chair will be elected from, and by, the membership of the partnership. The role of chairperson is pivotal to the partnerships achieving their full potential.

Guidance and support in the process of establishing LCSPs is being given by the National Office for Community Safety and by LCSP co-ordinators and administrators, who are full-time staff based in the relevant local authority and resourced by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. These full-time permanent staff posts are resourced by the Department and employed by the relevant local authority. In preparation for the establishment of the partnerships, local authorities have been recruiting these staff and so far, 27 co-ordinators and 20 administrators have been appointed across the country. The appointment of members to further safety partnerships across the country will follow in the coming weeks. We only draw on our experience from our own area, but I know that local members of An Garda Síochána have been attending local municipal area meetings individually outside the function of the safety partnerships.

There is an inconsistency in this regard because that does not happen in many of the Dublin local area committees. The structure in the cities is slightly different from that in the counties. I thank the Minister of State for setting out his stall. There is a lot of work done, with more to do. We need consistency. We can see how few local authority areas have got the bodies up and running so there is a lot of work to do. There is a lot of recruitment and engagement to be done. The Government should trust our city and county councillors to continue to take the lead in this really important work. We should remember that they are democratically elected. They are representative of communities - minorities, majorities and other stakeholders. They have a mandate. Not too many people around the table have the mandate they have. They have a very strong mandate to represent their communities and are best placed at the heart of local communities to represent all stakeholders equally.

I commend the Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, on his announcement of the appointment of the first Garda rural crime lead. It is a very positive step. I join the deputy president of the IFA, Alice Doyle, who issued a statement last night strongly welcoming the appointment of Superintendent Michael Corbett as An Garda Síochána's first rural crime lead. This is another important facet of community policing, particularly in rural areas. I salute the Garda Commissioner for that appointment and the recognition of the need for a lead in rural communities. I acknowledge the support for that appointment from the deputy president of the IFA.

I join the Senator in acknowledging the appointment of Superintendent Michael Corbett as An Garda Síochána's first rural crime lead. I spoke to him recently at the National Ploughing Championships when we launched our new rural safety strategy. I sit on the national rural safety forum and have attended its meetings. It is fantastic in respect of our approach to ensuring our communities are as safe as possible and reassuring people, particularly in rural Ireland, that our communities are being policed and that we are doing our utmost to ensure people feel safe in their homes and communities. Superintendent Corbett is a fantastic choice by the Garda Commissioner. I note the comments of the deputy president of the IFA, Alice Doyle, who co-chairs the national rural safety forum. She is doing a fantastic job in that role along with Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman.

Given the experience of the joint policing committees - I sat on the Limerick joint policing committee, which was a fantastic forum - I regret that Oireachtas Members will not be sitting on the LCSPs but that does not mean that as public representatives, we cannot interact with An Garda Síochána. We interact and will continue to do so. That is our job as public representatives. The new safety partnerships provide for a broader reach and inclusion of stakeholders, which is not a bad thing. They do not provide as much for local authority members but drawing on my experience in Limerick, there is no reason that across the country, local municipal or metropolitan areas cannot interact with An Garda Síochána on their agenda in the same way they meet any other group in the public service.

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to provide me with an update on the implementation of the zero tolerance strategy for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I have asked that we have a particular focus in our discussion on housing provision and on the Government's plans to address the acute crisis faced by survivors of domestic violence across the country.

Housing is not a peripheral issue in the context of domestic violence. It is central to safety, recovery and dignity. For too many survivors, housing insecurity is the single greatest barrier to escaping abuse. We cannot continue to expect people, mostly women and children, to choose between homelessness and a violent home. In the 2022-26 strategy, strong commitments were made to build a coherent national infrastructure of support for survivors. However, more than halfway through the strategy's lifetime, implementation is lagging, particularly in the case of housing and refuge provision. While the establishment of Cuan is a very welcome step, it must be matched with action. The strategy’s promise of 400 new refuge spaces by 2026 is crucial but on current progress, we are unlikely to meet that target. We need clear timelines on this. There are about nine counties in Ireland that do not have a women’s refuge.

Are plans in place for all of these remaining counties to have refuges established before the end of the strategy in 2026? Ireland's obligations under the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence are explicit. Article 23 requires that sufficient, safe and accessible refuge spaces be available to meet the needs of victims. Article 20 demands access to housing and financial assistance as part of comprehensive support. Compliance with these obligations is not aspirational; it must be real in every local authority area. How is the Minister of State ensuring that every local authority is meeting these obligations?

Refuge provision is only part of the issue because refuges are designed for the short term only. Women fleeing domestic violence need long-term housing solutions. They need to be a priority group for council housing lists. While the housing crisis is affecting many people in this country, it is having a particularly cruel impact on survivors of domestic violence as they try to rebuild their lives. At the heart of any strategy must be care. I do not mean that in a sentimental or paternalist way; I mean it from a structural perspective. The zero tolerance policy is built on a promise to women that they will be listened to yet too often, we hear survivors speak of no space in refuges, of years on housing lists and of being told to be patient, to wait and to survive just a little bit longer. Safe Ireland has warned that without investment and urgency, the gap between reality and promises will continue to widen. Alcohol Action Ireland has pointed out that there is no mention of alcohol in the strategy even though alcohol is one of the most consistent drivers of domestic abuse. The glaring omission of alcohol in the strategy means that one of the most common drivers of domestic violence is not being taken into account from a prevention and recovery angle. How can this be the case?

As the Minister of State knows, coercive control thrives on women who have been bullied and psychologically abused and whose self-esteem is on the floor. We need wraparound supports. They matter so much because they can empower women to pull themselves out of violent situations.

They empower women who have fled the most horrendous abuse, often with their children, so that with the correct support they rebuild themselves and their lives. Women need support to get jobs, have their own independent income and psychological care. What provisions are in place to ensure that every woman who flees a violent situation is able to receive this care? Wrap-around supports for women fleeing domestic violence are not a nice little extra to have; they are fundamental for their care and protection.

Will the Minister consider the creation of a distinct housing allocation category for survivors of domestic violence? The current system often places survivors in the general housing queue and fails to reflect the urgency of the situation they are facing.

Will the Minister ensure that alcohol is acknowledged and included as a driver of domestic violence in the next strategy or amend the current strategy to reflect that reality?

Has mandatory training on gender-sensitive, trauma-informed approaches been rolled out for all gardaí, legal professionals and members of the Judiciary? The risk of re-traumatisation is severe and can affect people's long-term recovery when they are going through the judicial process.

I thank Senator Stephenson for raising this matter. I am replying on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan. I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the implementation of the zero-tolerance strategy and to reaffirm the Government’s commitment to supporting and protecting victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Since January 2024, Cuan has been leading the co-ordination of Government actions under the strategy. A central commitment is to double domestic violence accommodation capacity in Ireland by the end of 2026. Cuan is working closely with domestic violence services, approved housing bodies, local authorities, the Department of housing and the Housing Agency to achieve this. By the end of 2024, 14 of 18 priority locations had identified suitable sites. Delivery schedules were mapped to ensure progress and new capacity had been delivered, including a 12-unit refuge in Wexford.

At the request of the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, Cuan undertook a review in early 2025 and worked with services and partners to assess and review progress and identify a series of actions to accelerate delivery. Following that review, completed in spring 2025, and in line with the commitment given by the Minister, the following targets will be delivered by the end of 2026: 52 new family refuge units; 45 new safe homes; and 50 new units under construction.

In 2022, at the start of the zero-tolerance strategy, there were 49 safe homes in place. By the end of 2026, it is envisaged to have 94 safe homes and 193 refuge units completed, bringing total safe accommodation to 287, with 50 further refuge units under construction. As part of this expansion, this week, the Minister had the privilege of opening a new nine-unit refuge in Dublin 4, a facility that will provide safe and secure accommodation for survivors at a critical time in their lives. In June, he launched the final implementation plan for the strategy, which focuses on expanding refuge accommodation and developing a comprehensive national emergency domestic violence accommodation plan.

Earlier this week, the Minister secured a funding increase to almost €80 million under budget 2026 to support Cuan and services working to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and the implementation of the strategy. This represents an increase of €11.5 million year on year.

My Department is also examining proposals to develop a policy on removal orders to take offenders out of the home in high-risk cases, subject to legal considerations. Through these combined efforts the Minister and our Department are delivering real progress. The clear message is that domestic, sexual and gender-based violence will not be tolerated.

I am delighted to hear about the progress being made on the strategy for removing offenders from the home. That is a really positive step for women, particularly in situations where there are children. I would love to get an update on that as it goes through the Department.

The Minister of State's response focused mainly on emergency housing. In my contribution I was trying to underscore that this is a systemic issue. The point of a refuge is that it is short term. Women are finding themselves in hotels and refuges with their children. They are only supposed to be in those refuges for a short time. We need a commitment to long-term housing, particularly at a local authority level. I ask the Minister of State to respond to my question about having such women as a priority category on local housing lists. Long-term solutions are needed and these short-term fixes are not substantial enough.

I cannot say I welcome the €11.5 million additional funding for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence given that almost €20 million has been allocated for greyhound racing. That figure is allocated every year and it is almost double what is allocated for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. For many women across the country, that really underscores how the Government prioritises tackling violence against women and girls. Those figures are quite shocking when they are looked at together.

It is important to reflect not only on the commitments made but also on what has been delivered under the zero-tolerance strategy. The promise of safe accommodation is becoming a reality. The new refuge in Wexford and the refuge in Dublin 4 symbolise that progress. The pipeline of new refuge spaces and safe homes will continue to grow, moving us steadily towards our target of doubling capacity by 2026. To support our children and young people, more than €17 million has been allocated to 60 services that provide court accompaniment and related support services to children and adolescents who are witnesses in criminal trials. The Family Courts Act 2024 represents a significant reform creating family divisions at every court level to ensure families face a system that is tailored, compassionate and fair. The Game Changer campaign, led by Ruhama, is using the influence of sport to challenge harmful behaviour and promote respect. In addition, public awareness is being raised through zero-tolerance campaigns to encourage victims and survivors to come forward and seek support. Each of these steps represents progress towards the one clear goal that no one in Ireland should ever live in fear within their own home.

As I mentioned in my earlier contribution, the funding has also increased significantly year on year and that will continue to happen under this Government. I do not accept the Senator's criticism of the funding of the greyhound industry. It is not an either-or. The greyhound industry is an economic driver, particularly in rural areas. People derive a livelihood from it. They support their families and their communities through greyhound racing. It is an industry. It is a sector within our community and within our society just as any other sector, whether it is the horse racing industry, the greyhound industry, the food industry or the farming industry. It is the job of Government to support all different subsets within our society and the greyhound industry is no different. I think it merits support. It is not a case of deciding to support the greyhound industry and not support people who need help in other areas of society. That is the job of Government. We try to support every cause within the community as well as possible.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire.

I appreciate that the Minister, Deputy Calleary, has come here this morning. While I was running in the convention, I used a quote about women to sum up myself and my late mam, who loved a strong cup of tea: a woman like me is like a tea bag; you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water. There are many women in County Meath who are strong women and who are fighting for a home for their groups. Those are the Trim women's shed, the Navan women's shed and the Meath cancer support group. Trim women's shed is a welcome space where women can connect, learn new skills and support one another through workshops, creative classes and social events. However, the absence of a consistent venue has become a major challenge to its continued growth and sustainability.

This group has 450 members and would benefit from having somewhere it can call home for a number of reasons, including stability, continuity, ownership, pride, development and skill building. The group could plan activities and workshops for its huge member base without worrying about venue availability. Caroline Smith, who is the group's chair, has said that it wants to get women out and into the community, to provide a safe support space for women and to act as a non-judgmental group where women can gather, support each other and learn new skills. All women above the age of 18 are welcome to join and there is no cut-off age. A lot of women have said that the shed has saved them by bringing them out of isolation.

The women's shed movement has expanded rapidly across Ireland in recent years, as the Minister will be aware, inspired by the well-established men's shed model. Nonetheless, it is fairly safe to say that women's sheds are more shedless than men's sheds. Most women's sheds rent shared spaces, which means they must pack away their equipment after each session. Men's sheds, on the other hand, are often granted permanent spaces.

Today, there are 120 women's sheds across Ireland. Sheila K. Martin from Killarney women's shed made a super point when she said that communities function best when they feel connected. People used to use pubs for that but many of them have shut down. Women's sheds can fill that gap by providing a dedicated space where women can share experiences, build friendships and feel part of something bigger. These groups offer essential social, emotional and educational supports. All I have said about the Trim women's shed I could say equally about the Navan women's shed, which is in the same predicament. I urge the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to seek to ensure that women's sheds are equally looked after this year.

Another group that I would like to bring to the Minister's attention is the Meath Cancer Support Group. Rachel Mullen from Kildalkey never imagined that she would find herself in a life-changing battle, but that was exactly what happened when she found she had breast cancer. She did not expect to find that there was no support group local to her where she could cry, vent, rage, smile and speak to people going through the same thing. To do this, she would have had to travel to Dublin, Westmeath or Louth. We must bear in mind that Meath has a population of 240,000 people, which means there are potentially 1,600 people diagnosed every year, each of whom has various family members. This incredible lady set up the Meath Cancer Support Group with the wonderful support of Trim Family Resource Centre. Ms Mullen has some space but there are now more than 30 people looking to come to the group's meetings and the room can only hold 30 people. This group is a lifeline for individuals and families that have been affected by cancer. How can a group that provides such support continue to progress its work without a base? The group provides help through counselling, peer support, information sessions and practical assistance. It offers comfort and hope to people navigating one of life's toughest challenges.

I have mentioned three groups. I am sure there are many more in similar circumstances. I am focusing on these three groups to ascertain the Government's plans to provide homes for groups that go out of their way to support women, to support people, to support families and to support communities in County Meath.

I thank Senator Nelson Murray for raising this issue. Given that so many people in County Meath have roots in County Mayo, it is inevitable that there would be strong women there. It is important that the Senator has raised this matter today. The importance of high-quality accessible spaces for community groups is beyond doubt. As the Senator said, we have all witnessed the massive contribution of the men's shed movement, and now the women’s shed movement. Is there any family out there that has not needed or will not need the assistance at some stage of the cancer support groups that do such amazing work across the country?

Since I became Minister for community development earlier this year, I have prioritised investment in community infrastructure and in services to support our communities. As part of budget 2026, I am delighted to announce increased funding for the programmes that are delivering on this priority. This includes an increase in the annual budget for the community centre investment fund, by €3 million to €20 million. This fund was introduced to provide high-quality accessible community spaces that are available to all groups in all communities, both in rural and in urban areas. The fund has provided €110 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. This includes funding of up to €100,000 each that I announced for 369 community centres earlier this year. In the Senator's county, funding of €1.9 million has been provided for a new community centre in Kilcloon, one of 12 centres receiving funding under the fund. Over €4.8 million has been provided to County Meath through the community centre investment fund in less than four years. In addition, my Department has allocated over €1.1 million to Meath under the CLÁR programme, which is also focused on community facilities and community transport services in the more rural parts of the county.

I assure Senator Nelson Murray that I am fully committed to delivering further rounds of funding under the community centre investment fund and the CLÁR programme so that there will be many opportunities for groups such as those she has spoken about. I recommend that the Senator should speak to her colleague, Senator Mark Duffy, who has led on the creation of a community space in an old school in Ballina. That sounds like something that might work for the combined work that the Senator is envisaging here and I recommend that the Senator have a look at that model.

In relation to men's sheds and women's sheds, and I welcome my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to the Chamber, we are supporting men's sheds and women's sheds through the Local Enhancement Programme, SICAP and the LEADER programme. The funding under these schemes is also available to cancer support groups.

I encourage groups that need to invest in new or improved community spaces to engage with their local authority and local development company to identify what options may be available. I am more than happy to ask my officials to brief the Senator in relation to that.

My Department has channelled funding through the Irish Men's Sheds Association to distribute directly to men's sheds. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I were pleased to announce a financial package with the association for this year which will enable it to distribute up to €1 million in supports to men's sheds across the country. We are awaiting the finalisation of that package with it. We are committed to providing any support we can for the development of a national governing body for women's sheds to ensure that individual women’s sheds can benefit from having a strong national representative body to advocate on their behalf. My officials have been engaging with representatives from women’s sheds and the Department of Health with a view to delivering on this objective. Once this is done, we are more than happy to discuss centralised funding.

I commend the work of all the groups the Senator referred. I thank all of the extraordinary volunteers who lead them. Without the volunteers in the groups the Senator has referred to, our country and the Senator's county would be a much poorer place.

I thank the Minister. Of all the Ministries, Deputy Calleary has a wonderful Ministry. It is a great Department because the Minister can do so much good with it. When I looked at all the different sources of community centre funding that increased in the budget, I was delighted to see that nearly all of them went up by €1 million, €2 million or €3 million. I welcome that. It is fantastic news.

I recognise the money that has come into County Meath. I worked with the Clady Hall project in Dunderry, County Meath, which got great money from the Department. People worked locally to raise funds to create an amazing community space in a building that had been closed - it was more or less derelict - but has now been partly reopened. I hope to welcome the Minister there at some stage when the job is totally finished. It is a fabulous space that will benefit three communities - Robinstown, Dunderry and a third one I cannot think of.

Do we have any idea when the national governing body for the women's sheds will be set up?

I thank Senator Nelson Murray. I endorse everything she has said.

Fundraising is important. It is very hard work, but it makes an important contribution, financially and otherwise. If a community buys into a project through fundraising, it will succeed. Speaking of fundraising, it would be wrong of me not to wish our colleague, Senator Costello, every success as she takes to the stage next weekend in her lip-sync fundraiser. I wish the Senator good luck with that.

We are working on the structure for the national women's sheds alongside the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, in the Department of Health. Our officials have been in touch with them. They are certainly making progress. I do not want to put a deadline on it so that we can get it working well together.

I will give the Senator a sense of some of the allocations in Meath that we have been able to do. Under the community centre investment fund, we allocated €20,000 to the Trim Family Resource Centre to fund the replacement of windows, bathrooms, flooring and insulation. We have also allocated €300,000 in Athboy and €90,000 for halls in Moynalty and Longwood. As the Senator will be aware, under the rural regeneration and development fund, we have invested almost €4.5 million in Trim to redevelop the existing library and the adjacent chapel.

I encourage the Senator to look at existing buildings and spaces within her community that we might consider partnering in. As I said, Senator Duffy has led on the redevelopment of an existing old school which has now become a centre for seven or eight different community organisations. It is definitely a model worth looking at.

I thank the Minister. It is always great to have a senior Minister in with us. We appreciate it.

I welcome the Minister of State. I am raising this really important issue today as it is one that I have encountered in my own constituency. However, I must admit that it was not a scenario I had ever considered until I came face to face with people living it and, unfortunately, it is one that affects many families throughout our country.

The role of our carers cannot be understated. Unless you have experience of being a full-time carer, you could not possibly comprehend the day-to-day of their lives. Any one of us, through circumstances outside of our control, could become a carer. It is a role that can happen through an accident or the illness of a loved one. Others become carers on the day their child is born.

To dedicate your life to the care of a loved one is admirable, but the hidden sacrifice and struggle is immense. I would like to concentrate today specifically on the challenges faced by elderly parents who are still caring for their adult children with disabilities. These people provide care at home for their children and, as they age, they worry about what will happen when they are no longer able to care for their child, and I say "when", not "if". I was struck last week while listening to an interview with elderly parents who care for their 40-year-old daughter who has an intellectual disability. This couple expressed how they are genuinely concerned about what will happen to their child, again, when, not if, they can no longer care for her. The father even went so far as to say that they hope their daughter goes before them. Take a moment to reflect on that statement. This heartbreaking statement is a sentiment that is echoed throughout this cohort of people.

According to recent figures, more than 2,000 people aged over 70 are providing full-time care for their adult sons and daughters; 500 of those parents are now aged over 80. As a parent of a child who does not have a disability, I worry what the future holds for him. For a parent of a child with a disability, who is vulnerable, incapable of advocating for themselves and who relies on the care of others to have their needs met, I cannot imagine the worry they feel. The Minister herself has said that disability services in Ireland are coming from a very low base and she acknowledged that a particular emphasis has been placed on emergency planning and not enough on forward planning. A low base, where the most vulnerable in our society are concerned, is unacceptable. A low base can no longer be the standard, and we cannot operate on a system that often reacts only in crisis. Emergency is the least effective, most distressing and most expensive way to support a person to access their rights.

Today, I ask what forward planning is in place to support elderly parents in the care of their adult children who have disabilities when they can no longer provide care? If there is no plan, what plan is going to be put in place? What these people are asking for is not a luxury; it is a necessity. These parents need to be certain that when they need to step back, when illness forces them to, there will be a safe, local and permanent place for their children to live. The Minister has spoken of the need for a new mindset. That mindset must include enough funding for residential places, providing clear and accessible information for families, offering respite, planning supports and ensuring that adults with disabilities can live in homes that keep them connected to their communities. Parents who have devoted their whole lives to being carers should be entitled to take a step back when they can no longer provide care and live out their later years and enjoy their child. Most importantly, they should be able to die in peace knowing that their child will be cared for and loved just as they were when they were alive.

I thank the Senator for raising the matter and wish her luck in her lip sync at the weekend. The contribution she made is a powerful one because it is the lived experience of many parents. In many ways, the reply I give will be inadequate to the articulation she has given because she is right. There is a group of parents who are caring for their disabled adult child, and they are now reaching a point where they cannot do it anymore. It is a huge issue and one that we encounter. I speak as somebody who is involved with what was Cope Foundation and is now called Horizon in County Cork, and who recognises the powerful words the Senator spoke this morning, because people are living it every day. It is affecting their quality of life, and they want certainty for their beloved adult child for the future when they are not here. That is not dramatic; that is a real concern of the elderly for their children, who in some cases, as the Senator said, have been cared for from the cradle to the grave. It is when the parents leave that this becomes a problem. The Senator is right. I thank her for raising this important issue.

Government is aware that there are a growing number of elderly parents who are caring for people with disabilities and a lot - not all - of those adult children will require residential care as their parents continue to age and as they will after their parents die. Furthermore, Government recognises the vital work carried out by family carers as well as the impact that caring can have on carers' physical and mental health. The Senator rightly raised that point because there is a huge concern for parents who want necessity of certainty and quality of care. Government acknowledges the importance of the voice of the person with the disability and the wishes they may have regarding their own future. It is also important to note that, currently, demand for specialist disability residential places exceeds what is currently provided.

The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is working with the HSE to address current levels of demand in line with the 2021 Disability Capacity Review to 2032, and the subsequent Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026. The disability capacity review 2021 identified a significant level of underprovision of residential care places, as the Senator outlined. The review projected a need for a minimum of around 100 new residential places every year from 2020 to 2032 arising from changes in the size and age structure of the relevant disability population.

The subsequent Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026 has committed to providing 900 residential placements for people with disabilities. The HSE, together with approximately 90 service providers, is providing 8,808 residential places to people with disabilities. In 2025, the Government has secured €3.2 billion for disability services, which includes €106.6 million in additional funding for disability residential services. This funding was provided to support in the order of 70 new residential placements. Up to August this year, 142 such places have been created. In budget 2026, a total of €3.8 billion has been allocated for specialist disability services, representing an almost 20% increase year on year. From the period 2020 to 2024, 709 new priority one residential places have been created for people with disabilities. This, with the places provided to August, brings the total number of new places to 851 since 2020. This level of provision has undoubtedly assisted those who were awaiting a residential placement, including those with disabilities who are being cared for by their ageing parents.

The Department of Children, Disability and Equality, alongside the HSE, is continuing to work to increase provision in order to assist those who are most vulnerable in our society and who urgently require services. In addition to residential services, there are other measures that are available to support people with disabilities and their families and carers. Other supports include day services, respite services, intensive support packages, home support and personal assistance. I recognise that, in some cases, they may not be available or they may not be what the people the Senator spoke about require. I recognise the burnout and the need for relief for family carers. I commit with the Department to ensuring that the provision of residential places through a multi-annual capital plan will be progressed. I look forward to working with Senator Costello and the Department to ensure we do meet the needs of elderly parents.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. A really important part of meeting the needs is very good communication with the parents. They are going to be handing their child over for care when they are not there. I want people to be able to die in peace - I know it sounds dramatic - and to feel that their child, whom they have cared for all their lives, will be cared for in a loving, safe, high-standard environment in an area to which those people feel their children are connected. It will have to be very trust-based, working with people with the lived experience because they are the people who really know the ins and outs of it and they are the people who will direct us best in what they need and what is best for those children.

I again thank Senator Costello. She is right; it is about communication, but it is also about trust. It is about prioritising this very important issue she has raised because there is huge concern among that group of parents.

It is a challenge. There is a significant waiting list for residential services. Demand is extremely high and exceeds what we are currently providing. The Government is working to address these challenges in order to provide people with disabilities with the services they require and their families deserve, including those being care for by ageing parents who, in many cases, require a residential placement.

There are huge challenges in providing residential places for a variety of reasons. It is important that we continue to face those challenges in the recruitment and retention of staff. We also need to examine how we can put in place certainty for individuals and families. The HSE has reported that the changing support needs of current service users is resulting in increased costs for additional adaptation services and that the cost of new residential placements has increased significantly, with the average cost of a new placement increasing year on year by 29% in the past six years. The availability of suitable housing also presents a challenge. I assure the Senator that the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, working with the HSE, is trying to address demand while also putting in place a range of supports, measures and programmes aimed at supporting people with disabilities to remain in the family home and ensure certainty for older family members, in particular.