643. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the specific steps beyond the commissioning of reports, that her Department and its agencies have taken to identify the number of residential spaces required for adults with intellectual disabilities for each year from 2027 onwards for each county; the current projected requirement for each county for each of the years 2027 to 2037 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51152/26]

The 2021 Disability Capacity Review to 2032, identified a significant level of under-provision of residential care places, with a projected need for a minimum of circa 100 new residential places every year from 2020 to 2032 arising from changing demographics in the disability population. The Capacity Review estimated that between 2018 and 2032, an extra 3,900 residential places would be required in order to return to levels of provision prior to the beginning of the 2008 recession.

Throughout 2026, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality will work to update the Disability Capacity Review to ensure the latest demographic and service information is used to inform long term planning in specialist disability services.

The 2021 Disability Capacity Review informed the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026, which represents a national strategy for capacity increases and service and policy reform in disability services. The Action Plan seeks to meet extra need over the 2024-2026 period in residential services through around 900 additional residential care places to tackle unmet needs and ensure supply keeps pace with demographic change and 500 new community-based residential care places to replace disability care in large institutional and campus-based settings, with a view to ending that form of provision by 2030.

This Government together with the HSE, acknowledges that demand for residential services is very high. The provision of residential services has come under increasing pressure due to a number of impacting factors such as an increase in individuals seeking access to residential services, changing support needs of service users, recruitment challenges impacting disability services and availability of suitable housing.

In recognition of this demand, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality continues to engage with the HSE, to expand and develop residential services for people with disabilities in line with the budget available. Engagement is also ongoing to improve the process for service users and families to access these residential services.

Residential placements generally respond to residential needs demonstrated on the HSE’s Disability Support Application Management Tool (DSMAT), which provides a list and detailed profiles of people (Adults & Children) who need additional funded supports in each Health Region. Entries to the DSMAT are entered locally by the HSE and represent an indicator of need for people who come forward actively seeking services.

Availability of suitable housing is particularly important in the delivery of residential supports. This Department and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are working closely with the HSE and local authorities to respond to the need for additional capacity and improve forward planning, including more cost-effective approaches to meeting housing and support needs. This includes setting specific targets in this area in local authority Housing Development Action Plans, currently under development.

In addition to the work underway to provide and expand housing and residential services, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is undertaking research and progressing policy development throughout 2026, with a view to developing a new policy framework for specialist residential services.

As this question includes service matters, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.