Cross-Party Oireachtas Group on Down Syndrome

We have exciting news.

A new group of politicians will work with Down Syndrome Ireland.

The Government is supporting this work.

This is a very big step forward for our community.

What is the new group?

It is called the Cross-Party Oireachtas Group on Down Syndrome.

The Oireachtas is Ireland’s parliament.

Cross-party means politicians from different political parties will work together.

They will work to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome.

When will it start?

The first meeting is on 23 September 2026.

There will be 2 more meetings before Christmas.

There will be at least 6 meetings in 2027.

What has the group agreed to do?

The group has agreed to give time to this work.

It will listen to people with Down syndrome.

It will also hear from families and people who know about different services.

It will work with Government departments to help make changes happen.

The group has a written plan.

This plan says what the group will do.

It also says how the group will check progress.

What will the group work on?

The group will work on:

• Support for young children and their families.
• Speech and language therapy.
• Support at school and college.
• Getting a job.
• Housing and choosing how you live.
• Transport.
• The extra costs of having a disability.
• Healthcare and support as you get older.

This work will support Unity 2026–2030.

Unity 2026-2030 is DSI’s plan for improving support and opportunities for people with Down syndrome.

Why does information matter?

We need to know more about the support people need across Ireland.

We need to find out which services people use.

We also need to find out what support is missing.

This information will help Government plan better services.

What will DSI do?

DSI will help organise the group’s work.

We will bring information and ideas to meetings.

We will ask for changes that matter to you.

We will follow up on what people have agreed to do.

We will tell you about progress.

We will also tell you how you can share your views.

Your voice matters.

People with Down syndrome must help shape decisions about their lives.

There is a lot of work ahead.

Changes will take time.

But we now have an important new way to work together for better support and more choices.

This is something we can all feel proud of.

Some further information; 

On 23 September, the Cross-Party Oireachtas Group on Down Syndrome will hold its first meeting, opening an important new chapter for DSI. Two further meetings will take place before Christmas, followed by at least six in 2027.

This is a historic achievement for our organisation. Securing Government support and cross-party commitment to a sustained programme of work means the priorities of people with Down syndrome have a dedicated political forum, with time, expertise and attention committed to pursuing them. It gives Unity 2026–2030 a powerful route into national policy and decision-making.

We should feel proud of the scale of this opportunity. The terms of reference commit the Group to working across party lines, engaging Government Departments and State agencies, hearing expert evidence and lived experience, and following progress through recommendations, reporting and parliamentary scrutiny.

The work programme is ambitious and practical:

• Strategy, evidence and accountability: advancing Unity, informing Budget priorities and pursuing a National Down Syndrome Population and Needs Assessment Programme to map existing supports, unmet need and future demand.
• Early years, diagnosis and communication: improving how families receive a diagnosis, early intervention pathways and access to speech and language therapy, including the development of GLÓR.
• Education: addressing access, specialist teaching supports, teacher training and transitions between stages of education and into adult life.
• Adult life: progressing employment, housing, independent living, transport and the additional cost of disability.
• Health and ageing: pursuing coordinated lifelong healthcare, annual health assessments, dementia supports and planning for ageing carers.
• Delivery: reviewing commitments, reporting on progress and identifying where further action is required.

This matters because many of the changes our members need depend on decisions that DSI cannot make alone. We now have a stronger structure through which to bring evidence and solutions to those who can make them and to keep those decisions under scrutiny.

As Secretariat, DSI will drive the preparation and follow-through: developing proposals, briefing participants, bringing the right voices into discussions and pursuing actions between meetings. That is why strengthening our specialist policy and advocacy capacity is so important. This opportunity deserves sustained expertise and focus.

Every team has something valuable to contribute. Your knowledge of services, families’ experiences and the barriers people face will help shape practical recommendations, alongside the direct participation of people with Down syndrome.

There is a substantial job ahead. We will measure success through policy changes, funding decisions and commitments delivered. Today, we should also recognise how far we have come. Years of work across DSI have brought us to this point, and we have a real opportunity to make the next chapter count.