Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
496. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether her Department has calculated the cumulative estimated inflation-adjusted funding shortfall affecting Section 38 and Section 39 disability providers since 2008; and if she will provide the methodology and figures used. [36366/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government acknowledges the essential role of section 38 and section 39 voluntary organisations who deliver residential services to many people across the country. The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is committed to working with the HSE and the broader disability sector to ensure that valued service providers receive the funding they need to continue to deliver quality services and supports to disabled people in Ireland.
In 2026 we are providing €3.9 billion for HSE Specialist Disability Services, an increase of €628m, or almost 20% over 2025. This is the largest ever increase in funding for Disability Services. It follows significant year on year increases resulting in an overall increase of €1.85bn or 91% since 2020.
This Department provides funding to the HSE to deliver specialist disability services either directly or via Section 38 and Section 39 voluntary sector organisations. While this Department sets the strategy, policy direction and the overall allocation for the disability sector, funding allocations to individual service providers is an operational matter for the HSE as the funding authority.
There is a statutory obligation upon the HSE under the Health Act to plan and deliver services within the agreed allocation.
In allocating funding to service providers, the HSE takes into account the resources available, Ministerial strategic priorities, national targets for service expansion, regional need and capacity of service providers to deliver.
Each year the Estimates process allows the HSE to request funding for the full cost of service provision, including cost increases experienced during the previous year. In advance of the budgetary process for Budget 2027, commencing in July, I look forward to hearing feedback from representatives at the upcoming Pre-Estimates Forum, in May 2026.
Priority Action 10.4 in the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People commits to “develop a new vision and reform strategy for specialist disability supports and services for 2030 to ensure that services are progressively more person-led, sustainable and cost-effective”. On foot of this commitment, the Department is examining the model of disability service provision in Ireland. This is with a view to formulating a new vision for disability services in Ireland to 2030 to give renewed strategic focus to the sector. This work will seek to ensure services can sustainably continue to deliver quality outcomes for all of those who need them into the future.
This work aligns with a Programme for Government commitments to deliver a step-change in disability services, as well developing a successor plan to the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026.
