From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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• The event brought together a wide variety of stakeholders to discuss priorities for the upcoming Budget
• It was the first in what will be an annual event held by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Today (18 July), Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, and Minister of State with special responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte hosted the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s first ever pre-Estimates forum for disability services.
Seeking to build on work progressed in 2024, the Ministers brought together a broad range of stakeholders to inform preparation for the 2025 Estimates process.
The event featured an addresses from both Ministers, as well as talks from Fiona Weldon from the Independent Living Movement Ireland and Mac McLachlan from NUI Maynooth followed by workshop discussions for delegates.
This forum was the first of what will be a yearly event so that external stakeholders, including disabled people, can have a more significant role in shaping disability policy and funding priorities for the year ahead.
The event saw over 80 delegates come together to discuss priorities and proposals for Budget 2025.
They included members of Disabled Persons’ Organisations, service provider organisations and statutory bodies such as the Health Service Executive and National Disability Authority.
Minister O’Gorman said:
“Sharpening our preparation for the Estimates process each year is of real importance for my Department. This means gathering the best evidence available to inform how we develop our priorities for the year ahead. The landscape of disability stakeholders represents a broad range of informed and passionate people and provides us with an invaluable resource to inform our future planning. I very much look forward to making this an annual event and embedding this collaborative approach in the future.”
Minister Rabbitte said of the event:
“We have an ambitious Action Plan providing us with a guide for the future. We need to match that ambition with the correct policy and funding choices. To do this, we need the voices of those who are most affected by these decisions to be at the table and provided with an opportunity to contribute
In 2025, we want to build on our good work in 2024. For this, we need the invaluable input of those at the coalface of service delivery and also the voices of those who matter most – people with disabilities themselves “
Budget 2024
An additional €272 million is being invested in Disability Services in 2024, bringing total investment to €2.9 billion. Funding will be directed towards the enhancement of person-centred supports and services, supporting the progressive rollout of the Action Plan for Disability Services and the Roadmap for Children’s Disability Services.
The Disability Services Budget in 2024 includes:
• €20.5m for circa 100 Residential placements for children and adults
• €15m for provision of further Respite services, including alternative respite
• €18.2m for new Day Services places for approximately 1,250 people
• €8.5m for developments in Children's Services, including 125 new therapy assistant positions
• €11.9m for other developments, including 80,000 extra PA hours and furtherance of Community Neurological supports.
• €23m for capital projects