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Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Dec 2006

Vol. 185 No. 13

Adjournment Matter.

Security of the Elderly.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, for taking this adjournment matter. As it was submitted only within the past 24 hours, I convey my appreciation to the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs for the alacrity with which it has replied. It affords me an opportunity to raise an issue of fundamental importance to those in rural areas and to those organisations, almost all of which are voluntary, who care for the aged in various disparate parts of this country and, indeed, within the urban areas, but I am focusing mainly on rural areas.

As a result of representations made to me on a continuous basis, it is timely to request the Minister to review the operation of the community supports programme. I record my appreciation to my friend and colleague, Councillor FrancisKilmartin of Leitrim County Council, who, as a representative of the Kilturbet Care of the Aged, raised the difficulties that his association was encountering in accessing sufficient funds from the section in the Department for a number of applicants in the immediate area of Drumcong and Kilturbet. This led me to make some investigations and I came to the conclusion, based on discussions with those who are involved in the system and the stakeholders at the receiving end, that there is an urgent need for a review of this scheme.

I also wish to record my enthusiastic support for the scheme. It is a humane scheme which has helped address the fears and concerns of the elderly living in rural areas. They now have a support service, backed up by financial resources from the Government, to assist in the provision of security in their homes.

Two of the applicants in the area to which I refer were turned down because they were not of the required age of 65. There is a need to revisit this arbitrary age criterion because one of the applicants is a stroke victim living alone in a rural area and the other is a non-national living in a remote part of County Leitrim. In normal circumstances both of these applicants would be eligible for an initiative of this sort, but they were immediately and arbitrarily ruled out because they are one year and two years, respectively, short of 65.

The second element of the request for a review relates to the €300 available for the installation of a panic alarm. Technology has progressed and now there are different forms of panic alarm. A number of agencies who help the elderly in the respective areas are now using a wide variety of different systems. In Kilturbet, they have established that a device which costs between €450 and €500 is much more acceptable to their client base than those being suggested by the Department. From my investigations, there is widespread support for the view that the €300 figure, which it appears was set arbitrarily because there seems to be no history of its origin, should be increased or at least that there should be flexibility built into the system to grant a larger sum where those making the application to the section have a justifiable reason for doing so.

There is another reason for an urgent review of the system. I understand that the history of this concept of community support originated in the then Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs and that it has been inherited by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs only in the past two years. It is now operating out of Tubbercurry in County Sligo. This is yet another example of the Government's commitment to ensuring decentralisation in that the Department of the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, will ultimately permanently reside near Knock, but in the short term, to the great credit of the Minister and of the staff involved in the Department, it is now operating out of temporary accommodation in Tubbercurry in County Sligo. Notwithstanding that, the main thrust of my request to the Minister is that there is a need for a review and he might take account of the two specific areas of review I mentioned.

I sincerely thank Senator Mooney for raising this matter. The scheme of community support for older people, CSOP, has been a valuable one since it was established ten years ago. In that time, funding in the region of €35 million has been awarded to community and voluntary organisations to provide socially monitored alarms and other security items to older people in their communities. The scheme has benefited as many as 100,000 older people as a result.

The scheme continues to be based on the concept of contact with people at local level. For this reason, funding is provided to locally-based voluntary and community organisations rather than grant-aiding individuals. This is to assist and stimulate broader community support for vulnerable older people. Currently, funding can be provided under the scheme as follows: As Senator Mooney alluded, €300 in respect of the once-off cost of installing a socially monitored alarm system, €200 in respect of window locks, door locks and door chains designed to strengthen points of entry to the dwelling, €200 in respect of security lighting, €50 in respect smoke alarms and €150 for interior emergency lighting for qualifying older people living on our offshore islands.

On Senator Mooney's question on the initiation of a review of the scheme, I can confirm that a review was carried out by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs earlier this year, ahead of the launch of the 2006 scheme. Officials of the Department met in February last with a range of representatives of voluntary groups who participate in the administration of the scheme. This consultation covered a number of issues concerning the scheme that had previously been raised by groups and by Oireachtas Members, as well as a review of the scheme by Comhairle, which also made a number of recommendations.

This consultation proved valuable and, as a result, a number of important changes were introduced for the 2006 scheme. These changes included certain increases in funding such as the maximum individual grant in respect of physical security equipment was increased to €200 and the maximum individual grant in respect of security lighting was also increased to €200. Also from 2006, the grant of €150 for interior emergency lighting for qualifying older people living on our offshore islands was introduced. I should also point out that the grant for smoke alarms was introduced from 2004, in response to suggestions from many community groups.

In addition, the 2006 scheme was launched in May by the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Noel Ahern, for whom I am taking this debate, and saw the introduction for the first time of an administration subvention to participating groups. The amount of this subvention is based on the size of a group's 2005 grant, with a maximum amount of €600 and a minimum amount of €100. This subvention recognises the leading role such community groups play in the administration of this scheme, in partnership with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, has gone on record to express his admiration for those who give their time to deliver the benefits of this scheme to their communities and has commended them for their hard work and dedication.

Another very significant recent change was to have the 2006 scheme open for applications throughout the year. Up until 2005, the scheme was advertised on an annual basis with a specified closing date. This change had been strongly supported in the review process the Department had conducted and since its introduction, it has been extremely well received by the community groups operating the scheme. It reduces the time pressures under which such groups previously had to respond to the call for applications. It also allows participating groups to make supplementary applications throughout the year so as to assist vulnerable older people in their communities where a need has arisen at any given time. So far under the 2006 scheme, funding has been provided to voluntary groups to assist 4,753 older people in their communities, which has included the provision of some 4,109 socially-monitored alarms and a range of security equipment.

As regards the age threshold issue, which was raised by Senator Mooney, the scheme of community support for older people is a community-based scheme directed at older people. The question of providing socially-monitored alarms or other security-related equipment to people with illnesses or disabilities, for example, is a health-related issue and would be more appropriately addressed to the Minister for Health and Children or the Health Service Executive.

Management of the scheme of community support for older people has been marked in recent times by flexibility and by consultation with community interests. As with any funding scheme, it is prudent continually to monitor relevant developments. In this regard, it is clear there has been some reduction in the demand for the CSOP scheme in recent years. The number of individuals being assisted under the scheme has been also dropping. In 2003, up to 9,000 older people were assisted, whereas this year's number will be closer to 5,000. The Department attributes this reduced demand to several factors. The scheme is demand driven and it may be a measure of its success that a gradual fall-off in demand has been experienced as more people have their security needs met.

Another factor in the changing requirements of older people in our communities vis-à-vis security is the increasing use of mobile telephones. As the House will be aware, the Minister changed this provision in yesterday's budget whereby people will now have the option of claiming free telephone rental assistance for either mobile or landline telephones. That presents a new opportunity for older people. Older people, along with their families, may see mobile telephones as their preferred response to any security concerns. Whereas mobile telephones and other new technologies present opportunities, the socially-monitored alarms provided under the CSOP have an ease of operation that will continue to appeal to many older people and provide a good level of reassurance in this regard. The CSOP also provides for a range of other physical security measures which will continue to be of interest to many older members of our society. Personal security depends on a range of factors and the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, believes this scheme continues to make a valuable contribution to the security requirements of older people. The Minister of State will continue to monitor developments that affect the scheme and, in consultation with stakeholders, will continue to make adjustments where appropriate.

I thank Senator Mooney for raising this issue on the Adjournment. It bodes well for our democracy that a local councillor can articulate a problem to his or her area thus ensuring the matter can be debated in the Oireachtas where the Government of the day can be asked to account for any aspect of any situation concerning issues that are so raised. In view of the interest shown in this issue by Senator Mooney and Councillor Gilmartin, I assure them I will take up the matter directly with the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern. Consequently, we will see if it is possible to have a greater linkage between his Department and the Department of Health and Children to ensure requirements for people with disabilities or other illnesses will be provided either on a unilateral or interdepartmental basis.

As always, I am grateful to the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy. I am also grateful to the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, for outlining the benefits of this wonderful scheme. I will take the opportunity of conveying its provisions to the wider public arena. I referred to two specific areas but it is not acceptable to deal with them solely as health issues. I am talking about building flexibility into the scheme for those who are within a year or two of the 65-year limit, which is an arbitrary cut-off point. As the Minister of State has pointed out, demand for the CSOP scheme is declining and there should not be a greater burden on the Exchequer. There was no suggestion that there should be an increase or any flexibility built into the €300 figure, although it is welcome. The developing and evolving technology, and the experience of Councillor Gilmartin's group, suggest there is a need for some flexibility in this regard. The Minister of State has promised to convey these concerns to the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern. In that context, I would be grateful if he would also raise those two specific issues. I am extremely grateful to the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, for his kind comments.

On behalf of Senator Mooney and Councillor Gilmartin, I will certainly take up those issues with the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern. I am grateful to the House for affording me an opportunity to debate this matter.

The Seanad adjourned at 6.05 p.m. until2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 12 December 2006.
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