Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2016
266. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the measures he will take to ensure the needs of persons with disabilities are incorporated into future housing policies, as per the programme for Government; and when he will implement this commitment. [15915/16]
View answerAddressing the needs of persons with a disability are already well established in housing policies. The commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government provides a platform to consolidate and build on the significant work to date, and will ensure that momentum is sustained in future housing policy development.
The National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD) 2011-2016 and the associated National Implementation Framework are joint publications by my Department and the Department of Health, and set out the Government’s broad framework for the delivery of housing for people with disabilities. They were developed as part of a coherent framework in conjunction with the Government’s mental health policy and Congregated Settings Report. It is intended that the current Strategy will be extended beyond its original timeframe of 2016 to continue to deliver on its aims.
A dedicated Housing Subgroup, chaired by the Housing Agency, was established in 2012 to progress implementation and includes representatives from my Department, the HSE, the Department of Health, local authorities, the Irish Council for Social Housing and various disability representative organisations. The Housing Agency sub-group is progressing a range of priority actions within an agreed work plan. Much work has been done to deliver on various initiatives and this will continue.
An Implementation Monitoring Group (IMG) was established to monitor and report on progress. The IMG is chaired by a senior official of my Department and comprises representatives from the HSE, the National Disability Authority, National Service Users Executive and disability representative organisations. The first progress report of the IMG was published in 2014 and is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.environ.ie/en/Publications/DevelopmentandHousing/Housing/FileDownLoad,37210,en.doc.
The Monitoring Group is preparing a second progress report for the period 2014/2015 which will be published on my Department’s website when finalised this Autumn.
National Guidelines for the Assessment and Allocation Process for Housing Provision for People with a Disability were developed and adopted for implementation by housing authorities with effect from November 2014. Also, housing authorities have established Housing and Disability Steering Groups (HDSGs), chaired by each authority and including the HSE and disability representative organisations, to achieve a coordinated and integrated approach to meeting the housing needs of people with disabilities at a local level. A Strategic Plan for each county/city area has been drawn up by the HDSGs to develop specific local strategies to meet identified and emerging needs. The local Strategic Plans are currently being collated by the Housing Agency into a draft National Plan.
Implementation of the Congregated Settings Report, led by the HSE, is supported by my Department through the NHSPWD. My Department is represented on the HSE Working Group and is supporting the ongoing work to progress the transitioning of individuals from congregated settings, including the provision of €10 million ring-fenced funding in 2016 under the Capital Assistance Scheme to assist the Department of Health and the HSE in accelerating the Government’s deinstitutionalisation programme. This is additional to capital funding which is being provided separately by the Minister for Health.
Funding is also provided by my Department to local authorities towards the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. The funding allocation of €56.25 million in 2016 for the Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme represents an increase of some 10% in funding provided in 2015 under this Scheme and comprises €45 million exchequer funding and €11.25 million local authority funding. Under this Scheme, people with a disability can have necessary repairs or improvement works carried out to their homes in order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their homes. I am conscious of the social benefit accruing from this Scheme in terms of facilitating the continued independent living by people with a disability in their own homes and therefore, in line with the Programme for a Partnership Government , further consideration will be given to increasing this funding over the coming years.
The concept of Universal Design centres on achieving a built environment that can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of their age, size or disability. All new buildings, including social housing units, must comply with the legally enforceable minimum performance standards set out in the Building Regulations 1997 - 2014. In this context, the Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2010, and the accompanying Technical Guidance Document M – Access and Use (2010), which came into effect on 1 January 2012, set out the minimum statutory requirements applicable to new buildings, and to existing buildings where new works, a material alteration or a material change of use is proposed.
The requirements of Part M aim to ensure that regardless of age, size or disability:
(a) new buildings other than dwellings (including multi-unit developments) are accessible and usable;
(b) extensions to existing buildings other than dwellings are, where practicable, accessible and useable;
(c) material alterations to existing buildings other than dwellings increase the accessibility and usability of existing buildings, where practicable;
(d) certain changes of use to existing buildings other than dwellings increase the accessibility and usability of existing buildings, where practicable; and
(e) new dwellings are visitable.
Part M of the Building Regulations aims to foster an inclusive approach to the design and construction of the built environment. While the Part M requirements may be regarded as a statutory minimum level of provision, the accompanying technical guidance encourages building owners and designers to have regard to the design philosophy of universal design and to consider making additional provisions where practicable and appropriate. While the latest iteration of Part M of the Building Regulations initially coincided with the general downturn in economic and construction activity, its positive effects on access and use in the built environment will now be seen more widely as economic recovery takes hold and construction activity begins to gather momentum and moves onto a sustainable footing. Building Regulations, including Part M requirements, are subject to on-going review in the interests of safety and well-being of persons in the built environment and to ensure that due regard is taken of technological progress and innovation.
