09 Apr 2025

Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality, Norma Foley, and Minister of State for Disability, Hildegarde Naughton, announce Funding for Disability Capital Projects in North West Region

Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality, Norma Foley, and Minister of State for Disability, Hildegarde Naughton, have announced an allocation of €27 million in Disability Capital funding for disability projects in 2025, a €4 million increase on 2024. Additionally, the Minister welcomes the development by the Health Service Executive (HSE) of the first-ever multi-annual Strategic Infrastructural Plan specifically for disability services.

This funding aligns with the objectives outlined in the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024–2026, launched in December 2023. The Action Plan represents the initial phase of implementing the recommendations from the Disability Capacity Review and sets ambitious targets for service expansion, aiming to make services more person-centred in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

The Department has set ambitious targets for the expansion of residential services, day services, children’s services and respite facilities under the Action Plan which require appropriate strategic capital investment to provide the necessary infrastructure.

The Strategic Infrastructural Plan for Disabilities being brought forward by the HSE will inform input into the review of the National Development Plan taking place this year. The intention is that this Strategic Infrastructural Plan for Disabilities will be based on the population trends of the regions across four pillars: residential, day, children’s and respite services. It will be a key enabler to drive growth in investment in disability services over the coming years.

Some of the projects being funded in the North West region include:

Construction of a new building in Ballymoate, Co. Sligo, for Day Support services in Sligo / Leitrim
New ID Adult Day Services facility, Cleary Centre, Donegal Town

Minister Foley stated:

"The allocation of €27 million will fund the provision of housing for individuals moving to live independently in the community and the construction and refurbishment of facilities for Children's Services, Day Services, Respite and more general Residential facilities.

The €27m budget is a relatively small proportion of the overall disability services budget of €3.2 billion.

The Department of Children, Disability and Equality is currently engaging with the HSE to advance the development of a multi-annual Strategic Infrastructural Plan for Disability Services during 2025, which will identify the medium-term infrastructure needs for specialist disability services.”

Minister Naughton, stated:

“Since my appointment to the disability portfolio earlier this year I have visited many services across the country. In doing so, I have seen the real difference that the physical environment can make to a child, young person or an adult in day services, residential, respite, or otherwise. It is important that we continue to build on progress made in recent years and develop a pipeline of capital works to improve disability facilities.”

Contact Information

Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth .
press.office@equality.gov.ie

Notes to editors

Funding to date

Following the March 2023 transfer of disability services from the Department of Health to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY), all Disability Capital funding provided by DCEDIY is ring-fenced exclusively for disability projects, with the goal of expanding and transforming disability services to meet current and future needs.

Yearly capital allocation since the transfer of function in March 2023 is as follows:

Year	Budget allocation
2023	€21.3 million
2024	€23 million
2025	€27 million

As in previous years, one of the primary areas of 2024 capital expenditures in the disabilities sector was the De-congregation Programme: the movement of people from congregated settings to smaller (1-4 person) residential homes in the community in line with “Time to Move On”, the Government’s policy on de-congregation.
Additional funds were utilised for the purchase, construction, and refurbishment of facilities for Children's Services, Day Services, and Respite Facilities, as well as for fire safety, minor capital works, and infrastructural upgrades to ensure services operate safely and comply with regulations.

HSE Capital Plan 2025

The HSE Capital Plan 2025 reflects the priorities outlined in the National Development Plan and those set out in the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024–2026. DCEDIY is currently engaging with the HSE to advance the development of a multi-annual Strategic Infrastructural Plan for Disability Services during 2025, which will identify the medium-term infrastructure needs for specialist disability services.
The objectives of the current HSE Capital Plan 2025 concerning disability services include:

Providing €27 million to support specialist community-based disability services.

Increasing the pipeline of disability capital projects including projects that provide accommodation for disability network teams, the development of Day Services facilities nationwide, the fitting out of adult and children's residential and respite houses, and other residential projects.

Continuing the transition of individuals from institutional settings to community-based services in line with the "Time to Move on from Congregated Settings" policy.

Engaging with local authorities and approved housing bodies to access additional Government funding through the Capital Assistance Scheme.

Enabling disability service delivery by providing accommodation for disability network teams, therapy, and day services.

Headline service improvements planned under the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024 – 2026 which have an infrastructure requirement.

Adult Day Services

o On average, around 1,200 additional day service places each year to ensure places for school leavers who require them.

Respite Services:

o Continued expansion of respite services, including alternative residential options

Residential Services

o 500 new community-based residential care places to replace disability care in large institutional and campus-based settings, with a view to ending that form of provision by 2030.
o Around 900 additional residential care places to tackle unmet needs and ensure supply keeps pace with demographic change.
o Increase support for people with disabilities to access supported independent living.
o Provision of supports to live at home, in order to phase out long-term care in a nursing home for younger people with disabilities.