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 October 7th 2025   

Following the announcement of Budget 2026, Inclusion Ireland, the national association for people with an intellectual disability, today welcomed the Government’s commitment of an additional €634 million to disability services but cautioned that the true measure of this investment will be its impact on the rights of people with intellectual disabilities and the delivery of long-term, person-led, rights focused change.  

Inclusion Ireland CEO, Derval McDonagh, acknowledged the significant figure but called for clarity on how this substantial funding will be allocated.  

“The allocation of an additional €634 million for disability services is a welcome, major investment that acknowledges the scale of rights that have not been upheld across the country. It is a necessary, first step response to the persistent gaps our members have told us about and that we highlighted in our ‘1,000 Voices, One Message: Invest in Our Rights’ Pre-Budget Submission.  

Our community needs to know: will this significant investment be used for new, rights-based developments, or will the majority be swallowed up in simply ‘keeping the lights on’ for a service model that is often outdated and non-compliant with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)?  

The people we represent are not looking for short-term fixes or charity; they are demanding the fulfilment of their human rights. This investment must be transformative.”  

 While welcoming the overall direction of a rights-focused strategy, Inclusion Ireland noted key points of concern and disappointment across several departments:  

Disability Services (Department of Children, Disability, Equality and Integration 

• We welcome the specific allocation for 150 extra therapists for the Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), a necessary injection of resources given the current crisis in therapy waiting lists.  

• We require urgent clarification on the funding allocated for Personal Assistant (PA) services (as distinct from Home Support hours), which are foundational to independent living and must be significantly increased to meet demand.  

• We so far have seen no mention of personalised budgets in the announcements although more detail will follow in due course.  

• We welcome the focus on deinstitutionalisation. 

Cost of Disability and Poverty (Social Protection)  

• We recognise the increase in core social welfare payments, but this increase falls far short of what is required to lift people with disabilities out of poverty and meet the spiralling cost of living. 

• The absence of a commitment to introduce a dedicated Cost of Disability Payment is deeply disappointing and leaves thousands of people with disabilities and their families struggling with unavoidable extra costs.  

• We welcome changes to the wage subsidy scheme. 

Inclusive Education (Department of Education)  

• The announcement of additional resources, including Special Education Teachers (SETs) and SNAs, is a welcome boost to schools. However, there was no mention of tackling restrictive class sizes. 

• There was a missed opportunity to clearly articulate a commitment to the progressive realisation of a truly inclusive model of education across the entire system, as required under the UNCRPD. 

Inclusion Ireland will continue to analyse the full budgetary documentation, including the Finance Bill, to gain a clear understanding of what is being provided.   

You can access an Easy to Read document about Budget 2026 here: Easy to Read Budget 2026

For more information please contact: 

Caoimhe Suipéil, Head of Communications, Inclusion Ireland  

Email: caoimhe@inclusionireland.ie  

Phone: 086-2265813 

On Tuesday, October 7 2025, the Minister for Finance will announce Budget 2026.

How to Make Your Voice Heard

You can influence this process by contacting your local TDs and urging them to prioritise investment in people with intellectual disabilities. Here’s how you can take action:

– Identify Your TDs: Find your local representatives and their contact information, including email addresses.

– Write to Your TDs: We’ve created a template to help you draft your message. You can access it here.

– Share Your Story: Personalise your email or letter by sharing your own experiences. Explain why you believe Budget 2026 must include dedicated funding to improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

For your voice to be heard before the final decisions are made, please send your email or letter by Thursday, September 25, 2025.

You will find an Easy to Read Email Campaign Guide here.

We have also created a guidance document for families and supporters to support someone to contact their TD, you can read that here.

Need Help?
If you have any questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@inclusionireland.ie.

You can view Inclusion Ireland’s Budget Submission2026 – 1000 Voices – here. 

A new report from Inclusion Ireland released today finds that the process of the Farrelly Commission of Investigation into the “Grace” case was “largely inaccessible” and failed to uphold the rights of disabled people to justice and participation. Based on a targeted survey of senior stakeholders, the report reveals a deep-seated disillusionment with a process described as disempowering, and “structurally resistant to inclusive practices.”

The report, titled ‘The Right to Justice and Participation: Lessons from the Farrelly Commission,’ argues that the inquiry’s design reproduced the very power imbalances it was meant to address, effectively excluding nonspeaking people and those with intellectual disabilities. Participants noted a critical failure to provide essential communication supports, such as intermediaries, and a lack of accessible formats for the final report.

“I welcome Inclusion Ireland’s report and strongly agree with its core findings regarding the flawed processes of the Farrelly Commission of Investigation into the ‘Grace’ case. From the outset the design and approach of the Commission sidelined and devalued many of those most affected by the issues it was considering. Many victims, survivors and family members also found the process of publication of the final Grace Report – with no advance notice to them – deeply distressing and retraumatising, after waiting for almost a decade. Today’s report is a call to action: change is needed urgently, and processes in future must be survivor-informed and truly inclusive.” – Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, Human Rights Lawyer and Special Rapporteur on Child Protection.

According to the findings, the report’s publication was particularly mishandled, with survivors and family members receiving no advance notice or briefings, which caused significant distress and undermined trust.

“Those affected remain without answers and have been left more wounded from the Commission. They have carried this pain for 30 years and continue to do so… [this is] not acceptable. We need as a country to do better in honouring the rights of all Irish citizens.” – Family member

In response to these systemic failures, Inclusion Ireland is calling for a complete overhaul of how Ireland designs and delivers public inquiries involving disabled people. The report outlines specific legislative and non-legislative reforms, including:

– A new statutory duty requiring inquiries to provide supported decision-making and communication supports.

– Mandatory co-design of inquiry terms of reference with survivors and Disabled Persons Organisations.

– Legal guarantees for accessible and trauma-informed publication of all reports.

– The establishment of an independent, human rights oversight board for each inquiry.

– Development of an alternative legislative mechanism for survivor-led inquiries outside of the current framework.

The report also emphasises the need to pass adult safeguarding legislation in tandem with legislation that guarantees the right to independent living, asserting that “true safeguarding is realised within communities, not institutions.”

CEO of Inclusion Ireland, Derval McDonagh states “This report is about documenting carefully the hard lessons learned from the Farrelly Commission. If we do not reckon with our past, we cannot hope for a different future. The feedback to the state is constructive, insightful and paints a clear picture of what needs to change in future inquiries, so that the voice of the person most affected is heard the loudest. It is beyond time we shook off our institutionalised past and stepped into a future where each person’s human right to access justice is respected and upheld”.

ENDS

Notes:

The right to justice and participation: Lessons from the Farrelly Commission – Read the full report here.

The right to justice and participation: Lessons from the Farrelly Commission – Easy to read version here.

Participants:

Suzy Byrne – Disability Rights Campaigner

Patricia Carey – Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse

Dr Aoife Gallagher – Associate Professor, School of Allied Health, University of Limerick

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC – Human Rights Lawyer and Special Rapporteur on Child Protection

Dr Caroline Jagoe – Associate Professor of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, School of Linguistic, Speech, and Communication Sciences, Trinity College Dublin

Derval McDonagh – Chief Executive Officer, Inclusion Ireland

Dr Claire McGettrick (Born Lorraine Hughes) – Adoption Scholar and Advocate, Clann Project Co-Director

Dr Katherine O’Donnell – Professor of the History of Ideas, School of Philosophy, University College Dublin

Molly O’Keeffe – Family Member

Dr Charles O’Mahony – Associate Professor, School of Law, University of Galway

Dr Maeve O’Rourke – Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, School of Law and Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway

Dr Sinéad Ring – Associate Professor in Law, School of Law, Maynooth University

For more information please contact:

Caoimhe Suipéil, Head of Communications, Inclusion Ireland

Email: caoimhe@inclusionireland.ie

Phone: 086-2265813

My name is Paul Alford and I am a Self-Advocacy Project Worker at Inclusion Ireland. I am so proud to have worked for Inclusion Ireland for the last 20 years. When I was growing up in an institution, I never imagined that I’d be able to live independently and have a job.

I was involved in disability advocacy for a long time before I was offered a job with Inclusion Ireland. When I first started working for Inclusion Ireland, I couldn’t read or write. I didn’t know how to do the work. But Inclusion Ireland supported me.

I went on courses to learn how to read and write. I worked hard. When I finished, I got certificates. They’re still hanging on my wall today, and I’m very proud of them.

My colleagues also showed me how to use a computer. It was difficult at first but I kept trying. After learning those new skills, I was able to do my work here.

My favorite days at work are days when I get to give presentations to different groups and organisations. My talks are about my experience, disabled people’s rights, and independent living.

It was important for me to tell my story about how I was treated in boarding schools, and then in the institution. I hope people learn from me and my experiences.

I want to keep working for Inclusion Ireland until I retire. I want to keep giving talks and sharing my story. I want other people with intellectual disabilities to know they can live the lives they want. They can leave institutions, get their own place, find a job, and speak up for themselves.

I love my job because I know we are doing good, important work.

The best thing about Inclusion Ireland is the staff. They’re helpful, they’re nice, and they give the right support. I’ve learned a lot here. We are working together to change Ireland.

Inclusion Ireland today launched its Pre-Budget Submission 2026, “1,000 Voices, One Message: Invest in Our Rights,” calling on the Irish Government to deliver long-term, ambitious change for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The submission, informed by over 1,000 direct voices from across Ireland, highlights persistent and critical gaps in education, health, housing, and the cost of disability.

“For too long, the voices of people with intellectual disabilities and their families have been ignored,” stated Derval McDonagh, CEO of Inclusion Ireland. “Our ‘1,000 Voices’ initiative, born from extensive surveys conducted in June 2025, provides an undeniable evidence base rooted in lived experiences. The message is clear: it’s time to listen, and it’s time for change.”

The comprehensive surveys captured the experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities, families supporting children with intellectual disabilities and families and supporters of adults with intellectual disabilities. Key findings reveal a stark picture of unmet needs:

78% of people surveyed don’t believe that the Government listens to their voices in decisions made about the Budget.

Financial Strain: A staggering 66% of adults with an intellectual disability reported that their current social welfare supports do not meet their needs. Nearly 80% of families and supporters across both child and adult groups confirmed that private spending on therapies, transport, or basic supports significantly impacts their household budget.

Housing Crisis: Over half (53%) of adults with an intellectual disability ranked “getting a home of my own” as a top concern. Yet, only 10% had a solid plan to move out, and 44% wanted to leave the family home but lacked crucial support. More than half found the housing application process “very difficult.”

Early Intervention Failures: One in four families reported that their child received no early intervention, with long waiting lists and delays in access to essential therapies being commonplace.

Information and Planning Gaps: 40% of families and supporters had never heard of personalised budgets, limiting access to flexible, person-led support models. Only 10% of families had a future housing or support plan in place for their loved ones, highlighting profound anxiety for the future of their loved ones.

“Our community is not looking for short-term fixes; we demand long-term thinking and ambition from our leaders,” McDonagh added. “Children and their families need meaningful support in the early years. Adults with disabilities deserve the same rights as every other citizen: to live a dignified life as part of the community.”

The submission emphasises that the findings underscore significant gaps between lived reality and the State’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). It calls for urgent action to deliver on commitments outlined in the Programme for Government, the Action Plan for Disability Services 2024–2026, and the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022–2027.

Inclusion Ireland’s Key Asks for Budget 2026 include:

• Increasing core disability payments above the poverty threshold and introducing a minimum €50 Cost of Disability payment.
• Significant investment in Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) to ensure timely access to therapies and support.
• Expanding access to supported living schemes and home adaptation grants.
• Investing in regional and online disability information hubs.
• Addressing means-test anomalies that disincentives financial independence.

“Our vision is an inclusive Ireland where people with an intellectual disability are supported to live and participate as equal members within the community,” said McDonagh. “The only way to truly value our community and to address the very real human rights issues facing people in every county in Ireland is to listen to these 1,000 voices. They are looking for hope, for recognition, and for real and meaningful support from Government in Budget 2026.”

Inclusion Ireland Budget Submission 2026: http://www.inclusionireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Inclusion-Ireland-Budget-Submission-2026-2-compressed.pdf

Inclusion Ireland Easy to Read Budget Submission 2026: http://www.inclusionireland.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Inclusion-Ireland-Budget-Submission-Easy-to-read.pdf

ENDS

Contact: 

For more information please contact:

Caoimhe Suipéil, Head of Communications, Inclusion Ireland

Email: Caoimhe@inclusionireland.ie

Phone: 086-2265813

29th April 2025 

Inclusion Ireland has today issued a strong statement in response to the General Solicitor’s commentary on the final report of the Farrelly Commission into the ‘Grace’ foster home abuse. The disability advocacy organisation expressed deep concern and solidarity with Grace, a survivor of prolonged abuse and neglect. 

“We speak often of the re-traumatisation of survivors. Grace is one such survivor. What she endured and experienced over many years is absolutely devastating, having her voice ignored has compounded that trauma unimaginably. The General Solicitor’s statement tells us clearly that Grace’s voice has been silenced by the Commission. She was silenced for 20 years in foster care and now she has been silenced yet again by the very process that should have supported her to access some semblance of justice.” Derval McDonagh, CEO , Inclusion Ireland 

The exclusion of “Grace’s” legal submissions from the Commission’s report is a deeply worrying development that must be addressed to ensure accountability and prevent similar failures in the future. 

Derval continued “Non-speaking people deserve the same access to justice as every other person living in this state. We demand a full investigation and a public statement on the rationale for this omission, the omission of Grace’s voice.”  

ENDS 

Contact:  

For more information please contact:  

Caoimhe Suipéil, Head of Communications, Inclusion Ireland  

Email: Caoimhe@inclusionireland.ie  

Phone: 086-2265813  

26th February 2025 

Inclusion Ireland will launch a new research report today (Wednesday 26th of February), “Exploring the Need for a Representative Advocacy Service for Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Ireland.”  

The report Commissioned by Inclusion Ireland and compiled by the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the University of Galway, examines the current landscape of services and supports available to children with intellectual disabilities in Ireland, and calls for the establishment of a children’s advocacy service.  Whilst the state provides representative advocacy for disabled adults and for some children in the care system, there is no national advocacy service for children.   

 The research will be launched by Dr Niall Muldoon, the Ombudsman for Children. 

 “I am delighted to launch this report into the importance of having an Advocacy Service for Children with Disabilities, because through the complaints we take in the office of the Ombudsman for Children for those children we can see the massive struggle many are going through, every day, just to have their rights upheld. 

 The State should be set up in such a way that parents can be sure their children will have access to whatever services they need. Without that guarantee then an Advocacy Service becomes a necessary part of the infrastructure for those parents and their children.” Dr Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children 

 It has become increasingly clear in the last number of years the enormous pressure that children and families are under in accessing what should be some fundamental and basic rights; the right to a high‐quality education in your local school, the right to access health and social care supports in a timely manner.  It is a daily occurrence that we hear of one parent giving up work just so they can be the primary advocate in navigating this world.  This further compounds the economic disadvantages that many children with intellectual disabilities also face. 

Derval McDonagh, CEO of Inclusion Ireland states: “ We have seen the effect that the National Advocacy Service has had on the lives of disabled adults who access it. We want the same for children. A state funded, independent advocacy service could at least begin to shine a light where it needs to be shone and may even prevent crisis situations in families occurring. To show children and their families they are not alone, to walk the path alongside them as they navigate complexity and to have hope of some justice in accessing what should be the right of every child in this state; to live an ordinary decent life as part of a loving, supported family.  As the new National Disability Strategy is being finalised, there is an opportunity now to make this a key action in the coming years” 

 Speaking about education, Lucinda Murrihy, Head of Strategy & Innovation at Inclusion Ireland, and parent to two disabled children said: “Too many disabled children are voiceless and silenced by a system designed to protect the adults. In some schools when it goes really wrong for children there is currently no support for them or their families. They are pushed into a biased schools complaints process in which the school investigates itself. I consider myself a very strong advocate for my daughter but I have learned through her horrific experience that the stronger we are as parents, the harder the resistance we face.” 

  She added: “There is a disability language barrier which exists in some schools. When a child tries to advocate for themselves, or with their parent, they spend all their energy trying to tackle this illiteracy in understanding difference instead of addressing the barriers they are facing. It’s so important that children have a strong advocacy support to bridge that gap. Someone to say to adults that there’s a chance you don’t understand this, that you’re not speaking the same language as this child. A strong children’s advocacy service would help schools and other pockets of society to learn to value and listen and believe children.” 

 In light of the government’s commitment to ensuring the voices of children and young people are heard in this year’s Programme for Government, Inclusion Ireland is calling on the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to establish a task force in 2025. This task force would bring together key stakeholders to make recommendations on the development of an independent advocacy service for children.  This service would provide representation and support to children and their families, working alongside them to ensure the child’s voice is heard, and shining a light where systems are not working for children. 

 You can read the report on our website here

and an Easy to Read version of the report on our website here 

========== 

ENDS 

Notes 

For the purpose of this research, representative advocacy for children and young people is understood as the appointment of a professional advocate that works to empower children to speak up for themselves, ensures they have their views heard in the decisions affecting their lives, and supports them to have their rights respected and to bring about positive change in their lives.  

It involves professional, trained experts in advocacy dealing with specific issues and working with an individual until that issue reaches conclusion. Representative advocacy should be independent and based on a human rights-based framework to ensure that the child’s voice is heard and their rights respected. Independent representative advocacy services should be provided by non‐governmental advocates who operate outside disability services, although providers may include children’s charities or disability advocacy organisations. 

Contact: 

For more information please contact: 

Caoimhe Suipéil, Head of Communications, Inclusion Ireland 

Email: Caoimhe@inclusionireland.ie 

Phone: 086-2265813 

Children’s Rights Absent, Voices Silenced

20th January 2025

Inclusion Ireland and AsIAm will launch a campaign for a child-protection led review of the reporting mechanism for the use of restraint in Irish schools prior to it coming into force in September. The campaign follows the publication of the Department of Education’s long-promised guidelines on the issue, “Understanding Behaviours of Concern and Responding to Crisis Situations in Schools,” which were issued in December.

Sign up and join the campaign: http://asiam.ie/what-we-do/policy#news

Autistic children and children with intellectual disabilities frequently experience restraint in Irish classrooms in a context in which there is no mandatory training or robust, child-centred safeguards. The new guidelines have created a reporting mechanism for schools to the National Council for Special Education. However, this agency has no powers of investigation and, as such, the guidelines conflict with the Children’s First Act and Ireland’s international human rights obligations.

The campaign launch will take place with an event at the Ashling Hotel in Dublin. Titled “Seclusion and Restraint in Irish Schools: Campaign for a Children’s Rights-Focused Review of National Guidelines” participants will call for a national conversation on what needs to change to make the guidelines more rights based to protect children from harm.

Inclusion Ireland and AsIam welcome certain elements of the guidelines, such as the outright ban on the use of seclusion, but they fall far short of protecting children from harm. The guidelines do not require schools to mandate training for teachers, secure parental consent prior to the application of restraint, nor are school-level policies or compliance inspections by the Department included in the framework.

For many years, our organisations and communities have highlighted the use of inappropriate restraint in Irish schools. A snap survey by our organisations last year found 27% of respondents had experienced restraint within the classroom. These traumatic incidents often take place in scenarios where children with disabilities, communication and support needs are misunderstood, where schools are under resourced and where insufficient training and safeguards are in place. These practises have seen children experience unexplained injuries, endure major trauma and distress and have their movements unlawfully restricted.

When families raise concerns in relation to the use of restraint, they are often referred to Schools Complaints Procedure which sees a school investigate itself, as opposed to appropriately referring the safeguarding concern to Tusla, as is required by Children’s First legislation. In recent years, a number of prominent cases relating to restraint have been brought before the courts and statutory bodies, including the Teaching Council.

This event provides an opportunity to look at the guidelines through the lens of domestic and international law covenants and will feature expert speakers with legal, educational and social care expertise and to highlight the steps which can be taken by the new Government to rectify the guidelines shortfalls before schools are mandated to operate the reporting mechanism in the new academic year.

Inclusion Ireland and AsIAm will be joined by Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Special Rapporteur on Child Protection and the Ombudsman for Children, Niall Muldoon, who will provide keynote contributions. The event will also hear from a panel discussion with key experts. Comments from the various event speakers will be circulated to media following the event on Monday 29th January.

We are urging the Minister for Education and Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion to instigate an independent child protection review of the guidelines and the reporting mechanism on the use of seclusion and restraint in schools.

AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland will invite families and stakeholders to sign up to the campaign and call on their public representatives to take action. The organisations will also announce the appointment of an international legal team who will consider the actions which can be taken, domestically and internationally, to challenge the legality of the reporting mechanism.

Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm said, “We have serious concerns that the guidelines published last month are insufficient, unclear and inadequate. It is simply unacceptable for the Department to put in place a reporting mechanism which is, by design, incapable of proactively safeguarding children. The National Council for Special Education will receive potentially large volumes of anonymised data relating to child safeguarding and yet has no formal pathway to Tusla, the appropriate national agency for such concerns. These guidelines will continue to see schools investigate themselves whilst the Department fails to be proactive and vindicate its public sector duty to uphold human rights and promote equality. Today, Autistic children are out of school, experiencing unexplained injury or deeply traumatised by past experiences of restraint. These guidelines will not prevent this reality continuing.”

Derval McDonagh, CEO of Inclusion Ireland states: “When we need to talk about the seclusion and restraint of children in our schools, we know that something has gone desperately wrong in our society. Inclusion Ireland has been calling for robust guidance for schools for many years now. Whilst we welcome some elements of the guidelines, it is clear that they do not go far enough to protect and safeguard children
from abuse. We know from recent surveys that many children are experiencing these harmful practices; the lack of children’s rights-based training and resources for schools is a critical gap. We also know that when a child is restrained, there has to be a system of oversight and governance which is completely lacking in these guidelines. We urge our Ministers to call halt and to listen to the voices of children and their families who are demanding better. These guidelines need to be reviewed and amended, through the prism of children’s rights and safeguarding.”

Sign up and join the campaign: http://asiam.ie/what-we-do/policy#news

ENDS

For more information, and to arrange media interviews please contact:

Paul Bradley +353 851744281 paul.bradley@fleishmaneurope.com
Jane O’Toole +353 852044839 jane.otoole@fleishmaneurope.com

Notes to editor:

Mechanical restraint is the use of a device, equipment, or other tool for compelling, controlling, or subduing the bodily movements of the person to whom such mechanical restraint is administered.

Physical restraint is the use of direct physical contact by one or more persons for the purpose of compelling, controlling, preventing, or subduing the bodily movements of the person being restrained.

Chemical restraint is the use of substances as ingested, inhaled, or injected for the purpose of compelling, controlling, or subduing the behaviour of the person to whom the medication is administered, regardless of whether such substance has been medically prescribed for the treatment of formally diagnosed physical or mental illness.

Seclusion is defined as placing and keeping of a person alone in a room or other space from which they are unable to leave.