Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2024
310. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he and his Department continue to meet the needs of people with disabilities of all ages and gender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26267/24]
View answerI am wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that disabled people are supported to live full lives of their own choosing, on an equitable basis with all others in society.
Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in March 2018. The Convention expresses disability rights as human rights and is extremely comprehensive in scope, capturing most aspects of daily life and going well beyond the remit of a single Department or Minister.
Coordination of the necessary whole of government work to advance the rights under the Convention is done my by Department but it falls to each of my ministerial colleagues to develop and implement specific measures on the basis of their ministerial portfolio. In that context, all public bodies must each ensure, on a "mainstream first" basis and in line with the Convention, that they are meeting their obligations under the UNCRPD and in relevant national legislation.
The Deputy can be assured that as Minister for Disability, I will continue to work to fulfil our commitments under the UNCRPD.
Under my own ministerial remit and addressing the needs of children, the Progressing Disability Services Roadmap for Service Improvement (2023-2026) was launched by the HSE on Tuesday 24th October 2023 and is a targeted Service Improvement Programme which sets out to achieve a quality, accessible, equitable and timely therapy services for children with complex needs and their families.
The Action Plan for Disability Services was approved by Government in July 2023, and was published on 14th December 2023. The Action Plan arises out of a Government commitment to work towards implementing the recommendations of the Disability Capacity Review to 2032. €74m in funding for new measures was allocated to disability services in the recent Budget. This will provide for new residential placements for children and adults, day services for 1250-1400 school leavers in 2024, extra respite and personal assistance services, as well as neurological community supports.
Finally, work is underway to develop the next National Disability Strategy. The next National Disability Strategy will be a fulfilment of a key Programme for Government commitment and will coordinate the continued implementation of the UNCRPD in Ireland. It will operate as a whole-of-government blueprint for disability policy, and facilitate coherent work across government to support disabled people of all ages and genders.
