Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 28 Feb 1996

Vol. 146 No. 10

Adjournment Matter. - Bathrooms for the Elderly.

Mr. Wall

I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. A number of old age pensioners who recently visited my clinics do not have bathroom facilities in their houses. In a recent budget this problem was overcome regarding tenants occupying local authority housing. I ask that a similar scheme be implemented in the case of tenant purchasers of local authority houses who are old age pensioners. A major financial outlay would not be required, given the numbers involved throughout the country. However, such a scheme would be of great benefit to the unfortunate people involved. Due to extra pressure, it is not possible for health boards to provide that financial outlay. A major problem exists with regard to county councils, essential repair grants and the health boards.

Most of the queries I receive relate to essential repair grant applications involving flat roofs and extensions. County councils do not accept these applications as being entitled to essential grant status. Such applications are forwarded to the health boards and this causes major backlogs of work in relation to their grant schemes. As a result, it is not possible for the health boards to do anything in relation to providing bathrooms for old age pensioners, etc. I ask that the Minister of State investigate the issue of providing bathrooms for senior citizens or old age pensioners who are tenant purchasers of local authority houses.

I have had numerous requests for action in relation to houses built in the mid 1930s and early 1940s by local authorities. A number of these houses have no bathrooms or facilities and people must use an outside toilet during the night. This is not acceptable in modern society. The people involved do not qualify for reconstruction loans under county council rules and have no other way to generate finance. Many of these people live alone. I am aware of a case where two brothers, who are old age pensioners, inherited their parents' house and have no running water or toilet. They cannot put such facilities in place due to the financial constraints on their income. The Department would not incur great financial cost in relation to such claims. I am sure that there a number of similar situations in every county.

It would not represent a major cost for the Department to investigate this matter with regard to tenant purchased houses. Other houses occupied by senior citizens have requisite facilities. It is an anomaly that in a recent budget grants were made available to local authorities to provide bathrooms for tenants occupying houses within their remit. Tenant purchased houses are purchased over a number of years, with people paying rent of perhaps £2 every six months. If one approaches the council in relation to such dwellings, one is informed that they are part of old tenant purchase schemes. This matter warrants serious investigation to see if a scheme might be put in place to alleviate the major problems experienced by those involved. Perhaps ten to 15 people have approached me in relation to this issue. I hope the Minister of State will review the matter and find a satisfactory solution.

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Ms McManus)

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter. At the outset, I should state that houses purchased under tenant purchase schemes are, to all intents and purposes, private houses. Tenant purchasers are, like all other homeowners, responsible for the upkeep, maintenance and improvement of their houses. Moreover, the price of a house under a tenant purchase scheme is based on its market value in its existing state of repair and structural condition, less generous tenancy discounts which can amount to 30 per cent of the market value, plus a further discount of £3,000 in lieu of the new house grant. The lack of a bathroom in a house being purchased would, therefore, be reflected in the relatively low price of the house to the tenant.

Notwithstanding the favourable terms of tenant purchase, the full range of measures available to improve substandard housing are, of course, also available to tenant purchasers. Some of these options are purposely aimed at elderly persons; others are more general in nature and can be used to assist the elderly and other categories of need. I suggest that the Senator pursue some of the options I will now outline.

The task force on special housing aid for the elderly is specifically designed to enable elderly persons living on their own, if they so desire, to remain in their existing accommodation, even though it may not be fully up to standard. The scheme provides for the carrying out, at no cost to the occupier, of basic works to prolong the useful life of the house so that it can continue to provide, for as long as necessary, an acceptable standard of accommodation for the occupants. The works undertaken may, where appropriate, include the provision of sanitary facilities, including a bathroom. The scheme is operated at local level by health boards under the direction of the community care programme managers, who have responsibility for decisions in individual cases. If the Senator is aware of particular cases, he should bring them to the attention of the health board for investigation as they may qualify under this scheme.

Under the scheme of improvement works in lieu of local authority housing, the local authority may improve or extend privately owned houses occupied or intended to be occupied by an approved applicant. The authority can arrange to have all necessary works of improvement carried out to the house at no cost to the occupants other than a small weekly or monthly charge, based on the cost of the works, for a maximum of 15 years. Such works may, of course, include the provision of bathroom facilities. The disabled persons grant scheme, could also, in certain circumstances provide substantial assistance towards the cost of providing a bathroom. Under this scheme, grants of up to 33 per cent of the cost of necessary adaptation works to private housing may be made available. Normally, grants under this scheme can amount to up to £8,000.

There is, therefore, a range of assistance available to those who do not themselves have sufficient resources to improve their dwellings to a reasonable standard, including the provision of bathroom facilities. This is especially so in the case of elderly persons, whether tenant purchasers or not. Even though these people are private house owners, it is possible for them to apply to the health board and/or local authority under these schemes. Such schemes are specifically designed to ensure that elderly people do not live in the substandard conditions to which Senator Wall referred. Sadly these conditions remain a feature and I recognise the Senator's concern in relation to this problem.

The Seanad adjourned at 8.10 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 29 February 1996.