Disability Services

Thursday, 12 June 2025

Questions (485)

Maeve O'Connell

Question:

485. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to set out a timeline for the release of the working paper on respite services. [31673/25]

View answer

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality

There has been significant investment in respite in recent years. There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to continue the expansion of respite services, and the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026 recommends that provision is increased by a third. While acknowledging that there is currently no formal policy underpinning Specialist Community Based Disability Respite Services, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is seeking to ensure that it supports a more coherent and equitable provision of service across the State.

A Stakeholder event with a focus on Respite was held by the Department in September 2024. The event included service providers and disability organisations as well as service users and family representatives.

The Department is now finalising a Working Paper on Respite which aims to assist in supporting and generating discussion on the future direction of respite (the paper will include the output from last year’s stakeholder event).

It is intended that the paper will be shared with the Disability Stakeholder Strategic Advisory Group in the first instance with further dissemination to be considered, including further engagement on respite services.