Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
1118. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the €100 million allocated in budget 2021 to the disability sector; the amount allocated to new funding; the amount previously allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32288/20]
View answerAs set out in the National Service Plan 2020, a total of €2,054.5 million has been allocated for specialist disability services this year. My Department secured €100m in additional funding in Budget 2021, which will significantly increase the disability services budget to around €2.2 billion next year. This signals the Government is serious in its commitment to make a difference in the lives of people with a disability, in line with the Programme for Government.
In addition to the investment outlined in Budget 2021, the Strengthening Disability Services Scheme, which Minister Rabbitte and I announced last week, will make €20 million available on a once off basis in the current year to support voluntary disability service providers engaged in the Transforming Lives Reform programme. Details of this programme and information on how service providers can apply are available here.
The €100 million in new funding in 2021 will be targeted at five key areas: children’s services, day services, community supports, residential services, and integration. I will now ask the HSE, in preparing its National Service Plan, to examine how these key priorities can be progressed in 2021 within the overall increased envelope of funding for disability services
