A total of €3.8 billion has been allocated for Specialist Disability Services in Budget 2026, representing a €618 million or 20% increase year on year.
Of this additional €618 million, €468 million is provided to maintain existing levels of service, a significant provision which recognises the challenges prevailing in the sector including the increased cost of service provision, increasing demand, pay cost pressures and service provider sustainability. It will also provide for the full year cost of new service activity in 2025.
A further €150 million is allocated to build on the service expansion achieved in 2025. This will deliver the following impacts for people with a disability:
• Support over 9,000 people in need of a residential response including an additional 250 placements and supports in 2026.
• Deliver 1,400 Day Service places for a further cohort of young people who will leave school in 2026 and a further 50 places for older adults.
• Enable the procurement of around 6,500 private assessments of need for long waiting families.
• Enable people to live independently in their own homes through the provision of over 150,000 home support hours and personal assistance hours.
• Provide in the region of 10,000 overnight and 15,000 day respite sessions. Alternative respite packages will also be provided
The specific quantities of service to be provided through this additional allocation will be set out in more detail in the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2026.
2026 will also see continued strong recruitment of in the region of 1,000 staff in line with trends in 2025. In addition, there will be investment in pay and pay related costs like those associated with recent pay deals to retain the existing disability workforce and attract new people into the sector. Funding is provided to meet the costs of the pay deal agreed with workers in section 39 funded services in the voluntary sector.
Finally, the capital allocation for Disability Services will increase by €16 million (from €27 million in 2025 to €43 million in 2026) supporting infrastructure development across respite, day services, children’s services and residential services (including decongregation) in line with the raised National Development Plan funding ceilings.
