Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
69. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the data her Department has on the number of people with Down's syndrome in Ireland, by age profile of people and levels of support required for them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72833/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist community based disability services to persons with complex needs arising from an intellectual, physical, sensory or neurological disability. Services and supports are provided based on need rather than on the basis of diagnosis. For this reason the Department does not collate data on service users based on diagnosis. In addition, the data available to the Department in this regard relates to those who require specialist supports, rather than the population at large.
Data on persons availing of specialist services is available from the National Ability Supports System (NASS), which is managed by the Health Research Board (HRB).
The HRB provides research and data to support evidence-based policy and service planning. Information on the NASS is recorded by service providers identifying services received or required for individuals as a result of an intellectual disability; developmental delay; physical, sensory, neurological, learning, and speech and/or language disabilities; or autism and is used by the Department and the HSE to aid service planning.
The 2024 NASS bulletin on disabilities reports that in 2024 there were 19,261 adults with an intellectual disability, amounting to 56% of adult service users.
Of these service users;
- 38% are between 20 and 34
- 45% are between 35 and 60
- 17% are over 60
Support levels among these service users will by service type, however:
- 7,844 avails of a residential service
- 2,761 receive personal assistance and/or home support
- 5,563 are in a day service
Additionally, 10,910 adults with an intellectual disability avail of therapy or social supports, with the most common of these being:
- Social work (4,476)
- Nursing (3,925)
- Speech and Language Therapy (3,685)
Other services availed of by those with an intellectual disability include respite, however data on the disability type of these service users is collected less systematically.
In terms of unmet need among adults with an intellectual disability:
- 1,930 are reported to require a residential place now or in the next five years
- 416 require personal assistance or home support.
- 2,662 are reported to require therapy or social work
An additional 2,416 people are reported to require a day service while 1,316 require overnight respite, however, this data is not broken down by disability type.
