Press release
Minister Anne Rabbitte announces disability services Budget for 2023
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
Minister Anne Rabbitte has today announced that the overall Budget for disability services in 2023 will be €2.4 billion, including a significant level of funding for specialist disability services. Building on the previous year, this is an unprecedented level of funding for Disability services.
Speaking of the increased Budget, Minister Rabbitte said:
"This increase follows substantial increases in the budget in 2021 and 2022; and reflects this government’s commitment to strengthening the funding provided for the disability sector."
€109 million is being provided to support Existing Levels of Service (ELS), funding for new developments will total €29.3 million while once-off funding is being provided for costs associated with activity during COVID-19 amounting to €39 million. Additional supports are also being made available to assist Section 39 organisations to assist in the context of the significant challenges which they are facing currently.
The Disability Services Budget in 2023 will provide:
The funding will give the HSE the opportunity to establish a further two multidisciplinary teams in two CHOs, expanding on the existing pilots in CHOs 6 and CHO 7.
It will also provide for the addition of 23 Neurological Nurses to increase capacity at neurology clinics around the country supporting adult and Paediatric neurology. These nurses will be dedicated to patients with MS, Parkinson, Huntington’s Disease, Epilepsy or Neuromuscular Disease.
An additional once-off funding of €39 million is being provided to reduce the Assessment of Need waiting list and to fund placements in residential centres (costs associated with activity during COVID-19).
Minister Rabbitte continued:
"In the Programme for Government, we made commitments to improve the lives of people with disabilities and in doing so we have signalled to those with a disability that we are serious about making a difference. This funding will give people with disabilities greater choice, independence and control to live their lives and participate in their local community.
"The increased level of funding in 2023 will enable us to continue to build on initiatives currently underway."
Additional supports for Section 39 organisations:
Minister Rabbitte added:
"Given the size of the disability budget, I would anticipate the Section 39 providers in the disability sector will get a very significant share of the overall €100 million once off fund. I would also envisage that the support to individual organisations would broadly be determined with reference to the current value of each organisation’s service level arrangement with the HSE."
The Minister concluded:
"The precise details are still being worked out by my officials but my objective here is to get the additional once off funding out as quick and administratively straightforward a manner as possible."