1673. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will initiate a comprehensive review of supports for people with physical impairments and their carers, including personal assistance hours, respite care, access to education and employment, and community based services; if she is aware of the significant levels of unmet need and isolation reported by individuals and families; and when a fully-funded strategy will be put in place to address these longstanding deficiencies. [43379/26]

The “Disability Capacity Review to 2032 – A Review of Disability Social Care Demand and Capacity Requirements up to 2032”, published in 2021 was informed by available evidence and information to estimate the scale of need for HSE-funded disability services, and how the scale and shape of need is likely to evolve over the years.

The Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026 represents the first phase of implementing the recommendations of the Disability Capacity Review to 2032. It sets out a range of actions designed to provide better access to disability services. It intends to maximise the impact of service delivery through strategic change and to enable better planning and management through improved information and systems.

The Action Plan targets are reliant on a variety of dependencies to enable their delivery, such as funding, workforce, capacity at an organisational level within disability service providers. Progress achieved under the Action Plan is documented in progress reports, which are published on my Department's website.  The most recent progress report has been published and is available at the link below.

https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/e2aab81b/4._Action_Plan_for_Disability_Services_2024-2026_End_of_Year_Report_2024.pdf

In recognition of the cross departmental nature of the supports required by people with disabilities, my Department published the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 in September 2025.  The scope of ambition of the strategy matches Government’s commitment to progressively realising Ireland’s implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) within a whole-of-government approach that delivers on the maximum benefit for disabled people across several policy areas.

Priority Action 10.4 in the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 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, my 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 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.