2946. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the value of the HRB/NASS annual bulletin report that neither represents the full population of adults with an intellectual disability nor identifies the percentage of that population which it covers; whether the annual bulletin represents value for money; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61488/26]

The National Ability Supports System (NASS) is a national database maintained by the Health Research Board. It records information about people who receive or are identified by a service provider as requiring specialist disability services funded by the Health Service Executive, due to an intellectual disability; developmental delay; physical, sensory, neurological, learning, and speech and/or language disabilities; or autism. It is not designed to record everybody with such conditions, but the people whose complexity of need means they may require specialist rather than mainstream supports or services.

The purpose of NASS is to gather information to aid the planning, development, and organisation of HSE funded specialised disability services. A person is eligible to be registered on NASS if they receive or require (either currently or within the next five years) a HSE funded specialised disability service, as identified by their service provider. Unlike other data sets which focus on the numbers receiving individual elements of service (e.g. day services or respite), the NASS can provide data on the combined package of services received or required by individuals.

While the NASS Annual Bulletin does not seek to measure the total population of adults with an intellectual disability in Ireland, it remains a valuable source of information for planning. The annual bulletin provides nationally consistent information on individuals who use, or are expected to require, specialist disability services and supports. Accompanying the bulletin are national, regional and IHA infographics, as well as more granular data in tabular format. This information assists service providers, the HSE, and policymakers in identifying emerging needs, planning future service capacity, and informing resource allocation decisions at national and local level. Its annual publication allows trends to be monitored over time and contributes to evidence-informed decision-making within disability services. Accordingly, the NASS continues to represent an important and cost-effective source of information for disability service planning and policy development.