Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2023
46. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline the work undertaken to assess the impact of annualised funding for disability services; the research undertaken on multi-annual funding options for disability services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40453/23]
View answerOver the past three years significant resources have been invested in disability services, with core funding increasing from €2.2bn in 2021 to €2.8bn in 2024.
The increase in 2024 includes €131m for existing level of service funding and €64m for new development measures . This represents a €195m or 7.6% increase on 2023 funding levels and reflects the Government’s commitment to strengthening the funding provided for the disability sector and to addressing the shortfalls identified in the Disability Capacity Review.
Unlike the position for capital expenditure, where multi-annual commitments are made within the National Development Plan, the Estimates process for current expenditure allocates funding on an annual (single- year) basis and no formal mechanism currently exists to provide funding on a multi-annual basis to providers.
In order to address the capacity deficits identified in the Disability Capacity Review, the Government approved the Disability Action Plan in July of this year. The Action Plan was developed to provide a multi-year framework for service expansion and strategic policy development, in order to maximise effectiveness and impact.
The Plan has informed budget deliberations and the prioritisation of areas for development in the coming years. It is a living document and will be reviewed and updated in the light of priorities, policy considerations and the funding available under this and subsequent Budgets. The Action Plan is now being prepared for publication, including in accessible formats, and will be available in the coming weeks.
