Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 November 2016
324. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government following the publication of his action plan for housing and homelessness four months ago, the status of the progress made to date on action 2.19 to create pilot competitions focusing on smart technologies, adaptation of existing housing and lifetime communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35069/16]
View answerIn July 2016, the Government launched the Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. Action 2.19 provided that we would create a pilot competition, focusing on three distinct areas, namely, smart technologies in housing for older people, adaptation of existing houses to meet the needs of older people and life-time communities.
My Department has established a Steering Group consisting of representatives from the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland, the Construction Industry Federation, the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, Dublin City Council and Enterprise Ireland, to oversee the roll-out of the design challenge.
The Steering Group has already met twice in order to elaborate on the competition brief which aims to stimulate, and support collaboration among, the design, construction and technology sectors to be innovative in providing solutions for older people within our built environment. In this regard, the challenge will be inclusive of anyone with feasible and cost effective ideas which have potential for mainstreaming into the future.
To raise awareness of the competition and incentivise the professional, building and community sectors to make submissions, I announced, on 20 September 2016, that my Department is providing €100,000 prize money to support the Homes for Smart Ageing: Universal Design Challenge competition. The third meeting of the Steering Group will take place next week and it is intended that a call for proposals under the competition will be launched in December 2016.
