Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 January 2023
134. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has identified any complications with the transfer of the disability portfolio from the Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; if he will provide details of these complications; the Department to which the disability budget will be allocated in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1590/23]
View answer163. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide details of the discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth regarding the transfer of the disability portfolio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1589/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 163 together.
DoH and DCEDIY are responsible for progressing this transfer. My Department has been engaging with both Departments as appropriate on an ongoing basis. The roles and responsibilities related to transfers of function are set out in the published Transfer of Functions Guidelines. This transfer has significant complexities given the integrated nature of disability and other health services alongside the scale of funding being transferred and the necessary related governance and financial oversight mechanisms. As is standard in transfer of functions, the relevant Departments are working to develop procedures to provide for a robust financial governance structure and satisfy the requirement that the transfer is carried out on an Exchequer neutral basis.
As the Deputy may be aware following publication of the Specialist Community-Based Disability Services (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2022 (S.I. 688 of 2022), the planned Transfer of Functions is set to take place on 1st March 2023 with necessary enabling work being completed by the two Departments and the HSE in advance. As per the Revised Estimates, the budgetary allocation for disability services for 2023 is currently part of the Health Vote. This funding allocation will be transferred to the Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Vote on completion of the transfer with Further Revised Estimates then being presented to Dáil Éireann to reflect the transfer of funding.
