2830. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the responsibilities that have been devolved to the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59858/26]

The Minister of State with special responsibility for Disability, Ms. Emer Higgins TD, was appointed on 18 November 2025.

The delegation of statutory powers was provided for through S.I. No. 75/2026 - Children, Disability and Equality (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2026, which has been published and is available on:

www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2026/si/75/made/en/print

Delegation of these disability functions to a Minister of State reflects the Government’s commitment to ensuring the provision of person-centred services and supports for people with disabilities.

The following statutory functions have been delegated to Minister of State Higgins -

• National Disability Authority Act 1999

• Disability Act 2005 (other than section 31 and 32A)

• Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015

• Irish Sign Language Act 2017

• Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Act 2022

The Minister For Children, Disability and Equality has also assigned a number of non-statutory responsibilities related to disability policy and services to the Minister of State, including: Adult Day Services and related supports; the Autism Innovation Strategy; the Decision Support Service, and Disability data enhancement. The Minister of State also supports day-to-day Oireachtas business and matters relating to the Irish Presidency of the EU and other international fora.