asked the Minister for the Environment the number of housing units that were built for senior citizens by local authorities in the years 1980 to 1984, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the directives or guidelines issued by his Department to the local authorities on the question of the building of such units by local authorities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Housing.
1.
The number of such housing units provided by local authorities in the years 1980 to 1984 were as follows:— 1980 — 625, 1981 — 631, 1982 — 550, 1983 — 609, 1984 — 1,008.
The main guidelines on the building of such houses, issued by my Department to local authorities, are:—
(a) in the measurement of housing needs in their areas, local authorities should give special attention to the needs of senior citizens,
(b) an appropriate proportion of local house building programmes should cater for the special needs of such persons,
(c) dwellings provided for senior citizens should normally be integrated with other housing,
(d) where feasible, sheltered housing should allow senior citizens to live in their own homes within a complex of dwellings served by the necessary basic community facilities without being forced to use these facilities,
(e) where specially designed housing is provided, there should be close liaison in planning with the health and social welfare services to ensure that the necessary support services will be provided.
My Department issued a comprehensive memorandum to each local authority in April 1982 on the standards to be applied in the design and construction of all dwellings provided by them, including accommodation provided for elderly persons, and, in August 1982, also, issued a separate booklet containing design guidelines on the provision of housing for the elderly.
In the context of his statement about all these desirable things that should be done to meet the housing needs of the elderly and in the context of the guidelines which the Department laid down in 1982, can the Minister say to what extent, if at all, these guidelines have been implemented by the local authorities?
I do not have that information to hand. The Deputy is an active member of a local authority and will therefore be aware that it is the local authority, which is the housing authority, who in the first instance bring forward design proposals for any housing schemes. I would be happy to make available to the Deputy the standards which I have outlined briefly in the reply. It is the responsibility of the housing authority to ensure that the technical support staff of their local authority from within their own ranks and from within the ranks of their consultants provide the kind of housing schemes which they want. Over the last number of years the Department of the Environment have been extraordinarily progressive in the amount of money made available for such schemes but the primary responsibility for complying with these standards is with the local authority.
Is the Minister saying that the Minister for the Environment does not have a responsibility to ensure that specialised housing of this nature is provided? Would the Minister not agree that schemes should be set up, as they have been set up in other countries, under which sheltered housing is provided, by which I mean a complex of buildings where aid and assistance would be on hand in the form of nursing help, caretaker help and so on? Are the Department of the Environment prepared to set up a target of doing that even on a pilot basis in a number of densely populated areas and to ensure by direction to the local authorities that these things are provided?
The type of scheme to which the Deputy refers exists in Cambridge Court in Ringsend where a scheme was opened no less than two months ago and which meets all the standards the Deputy looks for and which no doubt could be provided in Dublin county.
A final supplementary.
The point is that they are not being provided. I was not aware of that scheme but such schemes are not widespread in the country——
A question, Deputy.
Will the Minister take steps to draw to the attention of the local authorities the fact that that scheme exists and urge them to ensure that similar schemes are provided throughout the country?
The raising of standards in the first instance was a political act in 1973-74 by a former colleague, Deputy Jim Tully. Those standards were complied with subsequently by the civil service and the authorities. The standards have already been set at national level by the Department of the Environment and it is primarily a function for each local authority to ensure that those standards are met.
Is there a reason for the lengthy delay in the Department in relation to rural housing for senior citizens who do not want to move into built-up areas? In view of the fact that there are a number of applications from many local authorities with the Department at present, would the Minister ensure that approval is issued as quickly as possible for those categories?
I do not have the exact information, but if the Deputy were to write to my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, outlining the scheme he has in mind, he would be able to get information.
Question No. 2.
There seems to be an unofficial go-slow in the Minister's Department in relation to rural building generally and particularly in relation to the isolated rural house——
That is a separate question. This deals with houses for senior citizens——
I am talking about housing for senior citizens.
——and merely asked about the number and the directives. Question No. 2.