In Northern Ireland, almost all residential and day services are provided by the state. In the Republic, by contrast, voluntary organisations and services run by religious orders play a major role.
Services in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the various departments which, by and large, provide them through NHS trusts or other means. In the Republic many services are provided directly by health boards but religious orders and the voluntary sector are key players. The campaign movement, which has grown up in the South, has sometimes received help from religious orders and voluntary groups.
The last decade has seen a growth in the effectiveness of pressure groups on behalf of people with disabilities in the South. Among the foremost of these is the Forum of People with Disabilities. Many observers expect a growth in this kind of activity in Northern Ireland where a Northern Ireland forum of people with disabilities is already at work.
In the Republic, the development of policy will be handled by the new National Disability Authority from January. Information and other support services will be provided by a new body made up of the National Social Service Board and some of the staff of the National Rehabilitation Board.