74. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether she considers it acceptable that the HSE has been unable to provide complete national data on the distance from home at which children and adults with disabilities are placed in residential services, despite such information being available in some parts of the country; if adequate scrutiny can take place in relation to human rights, family and community connections, service planning and value for money in the absence of consistent national data; the steps she will take to ensure that this information is collected and published nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65594/26]

I wish to thank Deputy Quaide for raising this question and providing me with an opportunity to speak on this matter.

The HSE have previously provided data on the distance from home at which children and adults with disabilities are placed in residential services from 5 out of 6 Regional Health Areas, with work ongoing to complete that dataset.

The HSE advise they are progressing a programme of digital transformation across disability services, including the implementation of new information management systems and enhanced reporting capability. As these systems become established, opportunities to expand the range and quality of data collected and reported will continue to be considered, including information that can support service improvement and future planning.

As Chair of the Disability Data Steering Group, I am focused on delivering a sustained programme of work on disability data enhancements. The Steering Group provides a forum for strategic engagement between the Department, the HSE and other stakeholders, helping to build a shared understanding of data priorities to improve our visibility of disability expenditure, service activity and personal outcomes. There is now a programme of data work supporting significant and real change across the system.

This Government is committed to ensuring that residential services for people with disabilities are safe, effective, and provide a home from home environment for residents.

Through a robust Governance Framework, the HSE works in partnership with organisations including Section 38, Section 39, Out of State and private organisations to ensure the best level of service possible is provided to people with a disability, and their families.

Demand for residential placements remains very high due for a number of reasons, including demographic challenges associated with the increase in the number of people living with a disability, changing support needs and the increasing age profile of those in existing placements.

Residential placements are based on greatest presenting need and potential associated risk/safeguarding. Following referral and assessment, available resources are allocated to disabled persons on the basis of priority need and available resources in consultation with the individual and their families.

The HSE advises that while every effort is made by the referring agency to ensure the provision of residential services is close to family and natural supports, taking will and preference into account, there are multiple important factors to be considered simultaneously, in order to achieve a residential placement that will best meet the unique and assessed needs and requirements of each individual.

Placement decisions are made in close consultation with individuals and families, incorporating clinical advice, personal preferences, and resource and service availability.

Funded placements undergo reviews focused on the individual’s satisfaction, wellbeing, continuity of supports, and engagement with personal planning processes, in accordance with the National Standards and Health Act regulations. Reviews also look at where a transition closer to home is the will and preference of the individual. These actions are aligned with the principles of the UNCRPD and HSE’s commitment to equality and human rights.

Disability Services do, where possible, actively prioritise locating individuals closer to their homes and families wherever feasible. Out of area placements typically occur in emergency situations where such arrangements best meet the disabled person’s needs at that time. The HSE are endeavouring to repatriate people back to their home region through capacity building.

It should be noted that while the Chief Inspector of Social Services within the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) does not have the remit to look at the specific issue of an individual’s distance from their original home, where inspectors see residents are away from their support network or having to travel extended distances to their family, work or school, it is addressed in inspection reports under Regulation 9, Residents’ rights and Regulation 13, General welfare and development.

This Government, along with the HSE, is committed to supporting people with disabilities and their families/carer(s) and will continue to work to provide and expand services to ensure people are provided with the necessary supports at the appropriate time.

Throughout 2026, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality is undertaking research and progressing policy development, with a view to developing a new policy framework for specialist residential services. The policy development process will consider a range of matters relevant to specialist residential services. This includes models of service which this Department is working in collaboration with Trinity Centre for Aging and the Life Course in Intellectual Disability on research into as part of the Department policy development.