Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
949. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the Programme for Government's commitment to develop a multi-year capital plan for residential living options for adults with intellectual disabilities; if her Department records the number of elderly primary carers in the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9947/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Children, Disability and Equality, alongside the HSE, is continuing to work to increase provision in order to assist those who are most vulnerable in our society and who urgently require residential services.
As of December 2025, approximately 90 service providers are delivering 8,911 residential places. Between 2020 and 2025, almost a thousand new residential places were provided to people with disabilities, including 246 additional places last year alone.
A total of €3.9 billion of funding has been allocated to Specialist Disability Services in 2026. Of this, approximately €2.2bn (60%) is allocated to residential services.
In 2026, €65m has been allocated to Disability Residential Services for new developments, which includes €40m of funding that will provide in the region of 199 residential placements in 2026. This includes 152 newly created residential placements, as outlined in the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2026.
The HSE 2026 National Service Plan includes details of a move towards a more planned and responsive system of service provision to include the development of 72 new planned residential placements, and progress reflected in key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure transparency and accountability in meeting service needs.
In 2026, with allocated funding, the HSE has begun work to establish Residential Placement Planning & Review Teams in each Regional Health Area. The aim of these teams will be to ensure that individuals are appropriately assessed in relation to support needs prior to placement in residential services and reviewed in a timely manner for duration of the placement in respect of quality of care and support needs.
The National Housing Strategy 2022 to 2027 places responsibility for the provision of housing with the Department of Housing and it is the responsibility of the HSE to provide additional supports related to care needs. The HSE and Local Authorities are working together to map the need and to develop plans for delivering housing to people with disabilities and to advance those plans.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is engaging with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Housing Authorities, and the HSE, to explore means of responding to the need for additional capacity, which can assist forward planning and cost-effective placements.
This Government recognises the vital work carried out by family carers, as well as the impact that caring can have on carers' physical and mental health. It recognises too the importance of the voice of the person with the disability and that they may have certain wishes about their own future.
According to data from the National Ability Support System (NASS) 2024, there are over 2000 adults with an intellectual disability whose primary carer is aged over 70 in Ireland.
This Government is aware that some people will require a residential place as their parents age and the HSE, alongside contracted service providers, make every effort to provide the correct supports for individuals when needed. Supports include day services, respite services, residential services, home support and personal assistance.
In relation to capital expenditure, the 2025 review of the National Development Plan (NDP) resulted in significantly increased funding for Disability Services over the next five years, with a total envelope of €278 million out to 2030. The Department's Sectoral Capital Plan, published on 27 November 2025, sets out at a high level the infrastructure development plans for the Specialist Disability Sector across the areas of residential, respite, day services and supports for multi-disciplinary teams. I have separately asked the HSE to develop a multi-annual strategy for specialist services which will provide more detail on the anticipated allocation of the NDP funding in the coming years. The annual capital plans for the HSE will then list the specific projects to be funded and progressed within the relevant year.
The first NDP ceiling is reflected in 2026's capital budget, where a total of €43 million has been allocated in the Estimates for next year. The detailed list of projects to be progressed is set out in the 2026 HSE Capital Plan which is due to be published in the coming weeks. It is also my intention that the multi-annual capital strategy for disability services will be published upon completion.
