5.2 out of 10
Legal capacity can be partially removed, but it does not limit the right to vote or to stand for elections. There is no easy-to-read information on elections available.
Some adults with intellectual disabilities live in smaller institutions and some of them live in larger institutions.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live with their family and they receive little support. Few people live in their own place.
Most children with intellectual disabilities go to special schools, some go to mainstream schools and few have no education.
Few people with intellectual disabilities have a job on the open labour market and they risk to lose their disability benefits when they earn their own salary.
Most people with intellectual disabilities have access to general healthcare, only few have a physiotherapist.
People with intellectual disabilities are represented in the national cross-disability organisation. Inclusion Ireland receives government funding for their advocacy work.
Ireland European average
There are not enough people working. They should be able to work more and not losing their benefits and social welfare. They should be able to earn more money.
| Mainstream education | 7,000 |
|---|---|
| Special education | 9,000 |
| No education | 880 |
| Larger institutions | 2,279 |
| Smaller institutions | 6,800 |
| Small care homes | * |
| Psychiatric hospitals | 0 |
* Education figures: These are rough estimations. Institution figures: These are rough estimations.
Most children counted in mainstream education are in so-called 'special classes' in mainstream schools. Inclusion Ireland noted that in Ireland an institution is considered large above 10 people living there.
These are the reported or estimated numbers of the country. In most cases, in reality, the numbers will be higher as the data is underreported or missing entirely.
6.1 out of 10
Legal capacity can be partially removed, but it does not limit the right to vote or to stand for elections. There is a person with an intellectual disability elected to a national committee. The government and some parties provide easy to read information to make voting more accessible for people with intellectual disabilities.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live in smaller institutions and few adults live in small care homes. There is a national plan to close institutions, but the process is slow.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live with their family, few people live in their own place. Families receive support. Disability benefits go directly to the person with disability. There is no mechanism to assess quality of services.
Most children with intellectual disabilities go to special schools, few go to mainstream schools. There is no national strategy towards inclusive education.
Few people with intellectual disabilities have a job on the open labour market, most attend daycare and few stay at home. People risk losing part of disability benefits when they have a paid job. Some measures to make jobs accessible.
Most people with intellectual disabilities have access to healthcare, there are measures in place to make healthcare accessible, but staff are sometimes unaware about intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities cannot be forcibly sterilised.
People with intellectual disabilities are represented in the national cross-disability organisation, but there is no person with an intellectual disability on the board/ council. Inclusion Ireland receives government funding for advocacy work.
Ireland European average
While there is a strong strategy to move people out of institutions, the focus is to move them to residential services. There is not enough things done around personalised budgets, direct payments etc. The focus is on services, not enough on empowering the individual. The plan talks about support in the community, good on paper but it is virtually impossible to get access to support and very hard to access housing and support packages.
The new assisted decision-making Act was passed into law in April 2023. This law got rid of the possibility to fully remove legal capacity. In short, Ireland has moved from full guardianship to shorter and more area-targeted restrictions of decision-making
| Mainstream education | 18,500 |
|---|---|
| Special education | 9,000 |
| No education | 0 |
| Larger institutions | * |
| Smaller institutions | 2,256 |
| Small care homes | * |
| Psychiatric hospitals | * |
1,250 people under 65 living in nursing homes (some are in their 30s) because of lack of housing/support options 1,965 people live with primary carers over the age of 70 (471 of these are over the age of 80) 1,952 people need urgent residential support
These are the reported or estimated numbers of the country. In most cases, in reality, the numbers will be higher as the data is underreported or missing entirely.
5.8 out of 10
Legal capacity can be partially removed, but it does not limit the right to vote or to stand for elections. There is a person with an intellectual disability elected to a national committee. There is some easy-to-read information to make voting more accessible.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live in smaller institutions and few adults live in small care homes. There is a national plan to close institutions, but the process is slow.
Most adults with intellectual disabilities live with their family, few people live in their own place. Disability benefits go directly to the person with an intellectual disability. There is no mechanism to assess quality of services.
Most children with intellectual disabilities go to special schools, few go to mainstream schools. There is no national strategy towards inclusive education.
Some people with intellectual disabilities have a job on the open labour market, most attend daycare and some stay at home. People risk losing part of disability benefits when they have a paid job. Some measures to make jobs accessible.
Most people with intellectual disabilities have access to healthcare. There are measures in place to make healthcare accessible, but staff are sometimes unaware about intellectual disabilities. People with intellectual disabilities cannot be forcibly sterilised.
People with intellectual disabilities are represented in the national cross-disability organisation, but there is no person with an intellectual disability on the board/council. Inclusion Ireland receives government funding for advocacy work.
Ireland European average
Children with intellectual disabilities continue to face barriers such as reduced school days – now subject to statutory monitoring but still overused – and loss of supports during key transitions from early years to primary and primary to post-primary.
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.
| Mainstream education | * |
|---|---|
| Special education | 27,500 |
| No education | * |
| Larger institutions | * |
| Smaller institutions | 2,111 |
| Small care homes | * |
| Psychiatric hospitals | * |
These are the reported or estimated numbers of the country. In most cases, in reality, the numbers will be higher as the data is underreported or missing entirely.