Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2015
542. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the senior alerts scheme and its registration with Pobal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39410/15]
View answerThe objective of the Seniors Alert Scheme is to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase of equipment by a registered organisation i.e. personal alarm and/or pendant and the associated monitoring and service charges are paid by the participant. Following a review in 2010, one of the recommendations was that a centralised procurement process would simplify the scheme. By decreasing the level of administration for groups, this would allow them to spend more time on the key aim of the scheme, which is enhanced engagement with older members of the community, and would also achieve value for money through economies of scale.
My Department undertook to consider new approaches to the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2014 and arising from this, it was decided that the scheme should be managed by Pobal, given that organisation’s significant experience delivering programmes on behalf of Government. The management and administration of the Scheme transferred from the Department to Pobal on 7 September 2015.
The community based organisations that wish to support older people with the supply of personal monitored alarms are required to register with Pobal before operating the scheme. Paper-based forms are also available to these community based organisations to facilitate those that are not able to register online. In addition, Pobal have a helpdesk facility to assist with any queries, which can be contacted at 01 5117222. Once registered, these organisations can then submit participant applications on behalf of elderly people living in their defined area of operation. There is no closing date for receipt of registrations.
This new approach will reduce the administrative burden for the many hundreds of community and voluntary groups registered under the Scheme, who provide an excellent service for the elderly. It will enable the groups to concentrate on the main purpose of the Scheme, namely to support and interact with the elderly in the local community.
