Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 November 2021
597. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the extent to which the figure earmarked in tables 1a and 1b of the Disability Capacity Review to 2032: A Review of Social Care Demand and Capacity Requirements to 2032, by each type of disability, that is each row in the table service has been achieved in budget 2022 (details supplied); and the amount of this €220 million shortfall that will be met in 2022. [54284/21]
View answerBudget 2022 builds on €100m funding allocated in 2021 to enhance specialist disability services. The 2022 package totals an additional €115m. A key initiative will be funding for residential services to persons with a disability in response to their priority needs and further residential supports on a planned basis. The HSE, in preparing its National Service Plan, will examine how this key priority can be progressed in 2022 within the overall increased envelope of funding for disability services.
A Review of Disability Social Care Demand and Capacity Requirements up to 2032, was published by myself, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman on 15th July 2021.
It is important to note that the Report quantifies and costs future need for disability support services from a 2018 baseline, and not a 2021 baseline. That is, the funding requirements as set out in the Report are relative to 2018 expenditure, not 2021. In order to drive the process of implementing the recommendations of the report, the Ministers have also published a Framework Action Plan setting out key priorities over the period to 2025.
An Interdepartmental Working Group is now preparing the Action Plan for consideration of the Cabinet Social Policy Sub- Committee. This work was enhanced by the views of service users and representative organisations who were consulted in September of this year.
Further information on the Working Group can be found at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/f7943-the-disability-framework-action-plan-working-group/
Further information on the public consultation can be found here:
www.gov.ie/en/consultation/e9193-public-consultation-on-disability-social-care-services-to-guide-plan-for-the-next-4-years-2022-2025/
