Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2015
647. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the funding provided or the financial contribution for the older person's scheme and the number of such units provided, by local authority, in each of the past ten years. [46203/15]
View answerI understand the scheme referred to was introduced by a local authority to enable older people to downsize from homes that may have become too large for them to more suitable accommodation, thus potentially freeing up homes for larger families.
There are no funds specifically designated under the social housing investment programme for the purpose of facilitating local authority tenants wishing to downsize. I understand a number of housing authorities, however, have traditionally operated such schemes within their overall housing programmes. My Department does not hold any information on the number of dwellings allocated to older persons as part of such schemes.
I have no specific proposals to introduce a national scheme along these lines at present. However, in the context of the ongoing implementation of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, the potential of such schemes to meet differing housing needs may be further examined.
