2980. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the funding provided to the HRB for 2023, 2024 and 2025; the amount that was spent producing the annual HRB overview of people engaging with disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61487/26]

Responsibility for funding the Health Research Board’s (HRB) National Ability Supports System (NASS) transferred from the Department of Health to the Department, with a transition period, during 2023. The funding provided by this Department primarily supports the overall operation and maintenance of the system. An annual bulletin, Overview of People Engaging with Disability Services, is produced from the data collated by the HRB.

The funding provided in respect of NASS, including expenditure associated with producing the bulletin, infographics and social media assets, for the years 2023 to 2025 was as follows:

The increase in the cost of NASS in 2025 reflected, amongst other items, system upgrades to improve usability by service providers and enable more comprehensive data collection.

NASS is an essential part of the national disability data infrastructure, providing key insights into services used by persons with disabilities and their current and future service needs.

The funding set out above relates specifically to NASS. The HRB also receives funding from a range of sources, including the Department of Health.