481. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the amount of new funding allocated in Budget 2026 for new personal assistance hours; the number of new personal assistance hours this will fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40847/26]

Article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) affirms the right of people with disabilities to live independently and to be fully included in the community, with choices equal to others.

Since Ireland’s ratification of the UNCRPD in 2018, specialist disability services have continued to evolve, with an increasing focus on the social model of disability and person-centred service delivery. One of the key supports in this regard is personal assistance (PA) services, enabling almost 3,000 adults in receipt of PA to maintain their independence.

Recognising the importance of this crucial service, Budget 2026 provided €1.6 million to support the delivery of 50,000 additional PA hours this year.

Budget 2026 also saw a substantial investment of €15m to increase the rate for service delivery for both home support and PA, helping ensure providers can build and sustain the workforce needed to support people with disabilities every day and fulfilling a key Programme for Government commitment to align the disability rates with the rate paid for similar support services in other sectors.