Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 September 2023
245. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if consideration will be given to publishing outstanding actions - implementation plans such as the cost of disability action plan, implementation plan on disability capacity or reviews UNCRPD implementation plan and invest money to resource them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40802/23]
View answerAs Minister for State with responsibility for Disability, it is very important to me that we address the most significant challenges and barriers that people with disabilities face on a daily basis across Ireland, and the investment of resources to achieve these ends is vital. Continuously advancing the human rights in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and addressing recommendations in the Disability Capacity Review are priorities of mine as Minister. In both respects, my Department has been actively engaged in developing strategies and action plans to ensure that we continue to make critical progress across Government.
The Programme for Government sets out the commitment to develop an implementation plan to coordinate implementation of Ireland’s commitments under the UNCRPD, and this new strategy will succeed the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS). This new strategy will serve as the blueprint for making significant progress in supporting people with disabilities to live their lives on an equal basis with all in society. As such it is important to get it right, and that will take time. Both I and my officials are actively engaging with people with disabilities and their representative organisations to determine the strategy's priorities and specific, measurable and outcome-focused actions aimed at achieving the strategy's ambition. I very much believe in the power of the phrase "nothing about us without us", and it is important to me that people with disabilities feel that they have shaped the new strategy to ensure that it is capable of making meaningful change in their lives. Alongside these extensive and valuable consultations The Cost of Disability Report, which was published by the Department of Social Protection in December 2021, is a very important part of the evidence base informing the development of the strategy.
Once adopted, it will be incumbent on all Departments and Agencies across Government to ensure that sufficient resources are invested in a timely manner to deliver on agreed actions and achieve the outcomes and impact expected and required.
The Disability Action Plan 2024-2026 has been developed on foot of the Disability Capacity Review to 2032 – A Review of Social Care Demand and Capacity Requirements to 2032. This review set out the extra capacity requirements for disability services up to 2032, based on an analysis of demographic trends and unmet need. was approved by Government in July 2023. This Action Plan provides for the first phase of implementation of the recommendations of the Disability Capacity Review to 2032 and is currently being prepared for publication this Autumn.
