Disability Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-05-28
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Niamh Smyth (FF), Cavan-Monaghan

I thank the Deputy very much. I acknowledge the incredible work he does on rare diseases campaigning. The issue the Before We Die group campaigns on is another incredibly important one. The Minister of State, Deputy Higgins, had hoped to be here but unfortunately she was not able to be. She acknowledges the great work the Deputy is doing and his raising of this important issue.
The Minister, Deputy Foley, recently met the Before We Die group and it is her understanding that An Taoiseach and the Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, Deputy Higgins, also met it, alongside HSE representatives. The Minister wishes to acknowledge the ongoing commitment and dedication of all involved with the Before We Die group. The Minister also wants to recognise their advocacy for increased residential service provision for people with disabilities and their efforts to shine a light on the very real challenges many of these parents and families continue to face.
The next piece of my speech is going to speak to what the Deputy addressed about the investment that is there. It is just so sad to hear that, when you meet those groups, their lived reality is something very different. The information from the Department tells us that, in 2026, €65 million has been allocated to disability residential services for new developments, which includes €40 million that will provide in the region of 199 residential responses, including 152 residential placements. The remaining €25 million will support in the region of 40 residential packages for children in care with complex needs, the enhancement of existing residential placements, decongregation transitions and the under-65s programme. The Department is working closely with the HSE to move from crisis-led residential placements towards a more planned and balanced approach, with HSE regions and voluntary providers identifying and prioritising individuals earlier to help prevent crisis situations.
The HSE National Service Plan 2026 places greater emphasis on longer term planning for residential placements, with stronger operational processes to respond to the high demand. HSE disability programme leads are developing a procurement framework for residential placements with for-profit agencies, which will focus on purchasing placements on a group basis with the aim of securing more cost-effective placements. The procurement framework is expected to be in place by quarter 2 of 2026. In addition, new HSE housing co-ordinators and residential planning and review teams will be in place this year to co-ordinate and oversee the delivery of the new residential placements and plan for future placements, many of which will be delivered in local authority homes.
The Ministers, Deputies Foley and James Browne, with their officials, have made significant progress through the implementation structures established under the national housing strategy for disabled people in improving co-ordination with the local authorities and disability service providers at local, regional and national levels. This includes establishing the levels of unmet need for specialist disability residential services in each county or local authority area. This will inform the setting of targets in the local authority housing development action plans for two cohorts of disabled people, namely, those living more independently in the community and those with greater support needs, who will receive specialist disability residential services. Some €25 million in new development funding for respite services in budget 2026 has afforded the HSE the opportunity to plan for the expansion of services, with a range of respite initiatives under way. The HSE national service plan targets the delivery of 10,000 additional respite overnight sessions and 25,000 additional respite day sessions this year.
I will come back with a little more information later.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-05-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-21T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-28