Departmental Policies

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026

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Tuesday, 19 May 2026

Questions (906, 907, 908, 909, 910, 911, 912, 913, 914)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

906. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether it is the policy of the HSE to require a person with a physical disability, who is in receipt of personal assistant hours for essential daily living tasks, to 'bank' or reduce their existing daily allocated P.A. hours in order to attend medical or other vital appointments which require assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37252/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

907. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she acknowledges that such a practice may leave a person with a disability without the necessary supports to carry out essential daily activities within their home and community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37253/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

908. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the pathway that exists for a person with a disability to secure additional assistance or support from the HSE to attend vital appointments where attendance is not possible without support from a personal assistant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37254/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

909. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if any national policy or guidance has been issued to disability services regarding supports for attendance at medical, therapeutic, hospital, social care, or other essential appointments. [37255/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

910. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide details of any review being undertaken into the adequacy of personal assistance hour allocations for people with complex physical disabilities who require support beyond basic daily living tasks, including attendance at appointments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37256/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

911. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reasons the HSE only allows clients in receipt of personal assistant support hours to bank unused hours for use within the same week only, even in circumstances where the service provider may be in a position to facilitate those hours at a later date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37258/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

912. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if consideration will be given to introducing greater flexibility in the use of banked personal assistance hours for people with disabilities who may require support for vital medical appointments, social participation, education or other essential activities outside of the same weekly period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37259/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

913. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will clarify whether a client whose care package is temporarily paused or underutilised can later access unused funding from their allocated yearly HSE budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37260/26]

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

914. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the position regarding unused funding remaining within an individual's allocated yearly budget; whether those funds are returned to central HSE budgets, reallocated elsewhere, or carried forward in any capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37261/26]

Written answers

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 906, 907, 908, 909, 910, 911, 912, 913 and 914 together.

As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Question No. 907 answered with Question No. 906.

Question No. 908 answered with Question No. 906.

Question No. 909 answered with Question No. 906.

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