Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 March 2021
861. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if administration, budgetary responsibilities or functions will be or have been transferred from him to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; and if administration or budgetary responsibilities or functions relating to the Disability Act 2005 have or will be transferred. [16330/21]
View answer862. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if funding delivered for and relating to disability services and matters under Vote 38 has or will be transferred to and administered by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; if there are plans for such a transfer; if these funds will be transferred to Vote 40 in Budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16332/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 861 and 862 together.
Following the Government's announcement regarding the establishment of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability and Integration, arrangements are underway for the transfer of disability services to the new Department.
There are a number of factors to be taken into consideration in planning for this transfer of functions. Given the scale of the functions being transferred and the significant budget involved (c. €2.2bn in 2021), there are multiple financial, HR, policy, legal and governance workstreams underway within my Department to sequence the range of tasks necessary to effectively complete the transfer of responsibility between both Departments.
Since the Taoiseach’s announcement in June 2020, both Departments have worked together to provide effective oversight and co-ordination of the various tasks involved in the transfer of policy and budgetary responsibility. While significant progress has already been made in advancing the transfer, work to-date has emphasised the complexity and interconnected nature of the service and financial arrangements currently in place. Due to the complex nature of these current arrangements, it will be necessary to draft and enact primary legislation to establish the arrangements for the new Department in a legally robust manner. To that end, I intend to bring the General Scheme of a Bill to Government in the first half of this year.
