Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Nov 1998

Vol. 156 No. 18

Adjournment Matter. - Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme.

Ms Leonard

I thank the Minister of State for taking this motion on the housing aid for the elderly scheme which is administered through the health boards. The matter is also of relevance to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment because of the number of FÁS workers involved in the scheme.

The housing aid for the elderly scheme has been invaluable since its introduction to deal with minor repairs, such as replacing windows, wallpapering, painting and replacing gutters. However, over time the scheme has expanded and at present in the North-Eastern Health Board area it is responsible for more major repair works, such as installing showers and water and replacing roofs. There are other grants and schemes available for such work through the local authority under the essential repairs grant and the disabled person's grant scheme.

The housing aid for the elderly scheme affects many more people. The people who avail of it own their own homes and are elderly. Due to not having sufficient finance at a stage when they should enjoy life and a measure of comfort, many of them are now obliged to go into debt to have these repairs carried out because of the current waiting lists under the scheme.

I have received numerous representations from people who have applied to have repairs carried out on leaking roofs. Some of the applications were made four or five years ago. The scheme in Cavan and Monaghan is extremely well run. However, approximately 150 people in Cavan and 140 people in Monaghan who applied some years ago for works to be carried out are still awaiting approval. In Cavan there are 60 people who have received approval but who are waiting for work to be carried out.

This is considered priority work but only approximately 36 to 40 jobs can be carried out each year. If there are 140 people on a waiting list who have not even been approved, obviously it will be five or six years before the work is carried out, and that is not taking into account new applications.

I am not criticising the health board. The scheme is excellent and has worked extremely well in my health board area. However, it involves both the health board and FÁS workers. The FÁS workers and their foremen have created an ideal partnership with the North-Eastern Health Board. Members of other health boards envy that rapport.

Much remains to be done. While more money is needed, that is not the only problem. Monaghan previously had three teams of FÁS workers with each team completing about 18 jobs each year. This year, however, there are only two teams so money alone will not solve the problem. Additional FÁS workers are needed. At present, there are so many people on the high priority list in Monaghan that the health board is considering getting contract workers to do certain jobs to make the homes habitable. It has reached the stage that some homes are almost uninhabitable for the winter.

The scheme requires extra funding and more FÁS workers. One might ask why the health board does not get contract workers to complete the jobs. It is cheaper to pay FÁS workers under the community employment scheme and youth training programme than to pay contract workers. The work consists of replacing windows and providing other basic facilities which everybody, one hopes, would have in their home.

It can be argued that the local authority is the body with responsibility for the provision of housing. However, in the long term the health boards will carry more of that responsibility because elderly people are more at risk of illness and of being attacked in their homes. That causes greater problems for the health boards so it is in their interests, particularly for the safety and health of the elderly, to administer this scheme.

We have an ageing population who should be allowed to remain healthy and independent for as long as possible. These are the people who built the society we are lucky enough to enjoy. It is unfortunate that the people who most need assistance tend to be forgotten. Some people say that the elderly do not contribute to society by paying their taxes. In fairness, many of the people I am talking about paid their taxes all their life and they deserve something in return. Many of these people are willing to contribute to society; they just need a little help. This scheme has been extremely useful in my health board area and I am sure this applies across the board. I urge the Minister of State to make more resources available for this scheme in the forthcoming budget.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Miss M. Wallace)

I thank Senator Leonard for raising this important issue and apologise that the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and urban renewal, Deputy Molloy, is unable to be here this evening. He asked me to thank Senator Leonard for raising this important issue and to explain its origins and present status.

The scheme, administered by a task force, under the aegis of the Department of the Environment and Local Government, is funded by the Exchequer. A budget provision of £1 million was allocated to a task force which was set up in 1982 to undertake an emergency programme to improve the housing conditions of elderly persons living on their own in unfit or unsanitary accommodation. The task force includes representatives from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, FÁS, ALONE, local authorities and the Departments of the Environment and Local Government, Health and Children and Social Community and Family Affairs. The scheme is operated on the ground by the health boards under the direction of the community care programme managers and the work is generally carried out by contract or by FÁS trainees working under the supervision of health board foremen. Labour costs are met in full by FÁS in the latter case.

Funding at an annual level of £1 million was continued up to 1985, after which it was increased to £1.5 million. A sum of £2 million was provided each year from 1989 to 1993, inclusive. In 1994 the Government granted a special additional sum of £2 million to the task force on a once-off basis out of the proceeds of the tax amnesty. This helped reduce the number of outstanding applications and helped put the scheme back on a more even footing as we approached 1995, allowing health boards better scope for dealing with new applications. In 1995 the allocation was increased to £3 million, in 1996 to £4 million and a further increase in 1997 to £4.132 million. A special budget day allocation increased the 1998 provision to an all time high of £5 million.

As can be seen, the level of funding has been increased each year since 1994 to enable the health boards to continue a high level of activity under the scheme and in recognition of the valuable work being done. It is estimated that almost 32,000 cases were dealt with between 1982 and the end of 1997 and more than 1,300 jobs have been completed in the period ending 30 June 1998. Funding levels for 1999 are at present being considered in the context of the settlement of the Estimates and will be announced in the near future.

The operation of the scheme is continuously monitored and assessed by the task force. In making annual financial allocations to health boards, due cognisance is given to returns by the boards of activity under the scheme and the number of applications on hand within each health board area. It is a matter for each board to determine, within the funds available, the priority of individual cases on hand and to consider which applications should receive assistance under the scheme.

Senator Leonard rightly pointed to the concern of health boards for the elderly population and the fact that the cost to the health boards would be much greater if these people were in institutional care rather than living in their own homes. Coming from the same health board area as the Senator, I am aware the health board is considering employing contractors to relieve the situation. This is an extremely valuable scheme but waiting lists are causing some concern.

The primary area of support from FÁS to the health services is through the community youth training programme. Through this programme support is provided by way of helping to make living standards in accommodation better for the elderly or for people with disabilities. Senator Leonard pointed out that grants such as the essential repairs grant and the disabled person's grant can also be utilised. Persons to be supported are nominated by the health board local social services and 200 trainees from the community youth training programme would be involved in providing this support. This programme is operating at full strength within its budgetary capacity.

As we approach the 1999 Estimates, I thank Senator Leonard for raising this issue. The figures she quoted with regard to Cavan-Monaghan will be relayed to the Department of the Environment and Local Government so that it will be aware of her concerns in this matter. I join Senator Leonard in complimenting all those involved in this excellent scheme — members of the task force, the health boards, FÁS and the other voluntary bodies associated with the successful operation of the scheme over recent years.

The Seanad adjourned at 3.50 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Friday, 6 November 1998.