Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-19
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

My gut was right there. The Minister of State actually met the group last Wednesday. I look forward to hearing how that meeting went and I will ask her to update the Deputy directly in relation to that. That was to kick off a conversation in relation to how we can have that more holistic view. In terms of practical steps that we are taking this year, €65 million has been provided for new responses in respect of disability residential services. We are going to see funding for at least 152 new residential places. Beyond that, other residential responses that I am suggesting might not be the full required in resident places. That is not always required as well. We will continue to increase the funding to our disability services.
The conversation we have to have alongside that is, as we develop more housing developments and more homes for people with disabilities in their community, so if, as you and your parents age and want your own independence and your own hall door, that you can still live within your community. I have not seen enough examples of it but I have seen some small examples of it around the country. As part of our new housing plan, we are determined to have that conversation. We should not just be having a conversation with developers about building social housing. That is important. We should also be having many more conversations about building homes for people with a disability and for older people. That would be part of the solution too.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:40+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-19