Disability Issues
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-26
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Emer Higgins (FG), Dublin Mid-West

I thank the Senator for that, and for everything he does to raise these very important issues.
I reiterate this is a priority for this Government. The Government recognises there is more to do to improve the lived experience of people with disabilities, and that is ultimately what this boils down to. The Senator set out in his own contribution that people are at the heart of this, and that is why we need to ensure we are doubling down on our efforts.
The increase in the disability budget for this year, which is 20%, demonstrates the multiple commitments made in the programme for Government to improving the lives of people with disabilities and making a difference. We need to ensure that funding translates into improved outcomes and expanded services.
I reiterate the importance of ensuring we continue to support people with disabilities to live meaningful and fulfilling lives, with a person-centred approach right across all our services. The ambition of Government is to bring about a step change in services for people with a disability in Ireland, and we are committed to the expansion and reform of disability services to maximise people's independence, to help support them to live ordinary lives in ordinary places.
The bottom line is the Government is aware of the challenges, which present across all regional health areas. The Department is actively engaging with the Department of housing and the HSE to explore new and existing ways of responding to demand, while appropriately managing the significant levels of funding provided to residential services.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-26