Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 May 2021
63. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if funding will be provided for local authorities to specifically provide homes for older persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23365/21]
View answerLocal authorities are responsible for the provision of social housing in their areas, and, as such, decide on the number and specific types of dwellings to provide in their developments. Targets are not set for local authorities in respect of the numbers of new dwellings to be provided for older persons in each development. Local authorities would instead consider the housing need as per their housing waiting list when deciding on the house types within each development.
For older people who are not seeking local authority accommodation my Department is committed to supporting this group to live in their own home with dignity and independence for as long as possible. Where an older person has a disability or requires home improvements they may apply to their local authority for funding to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants includes the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability (up to €30,000), the Mobility Aids Grant (up to €6,000) and the Housing Aid for Older People (up to €8,000). The grant schemes are means tested to ensure fairness and value for money in their operation. The detailed administration of the grants, including the assessment, approval and prioritization of applications, is the responsibility of the local authorities.
In addition to the above, my Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is developing policy options for supported housing/housing with care so that older people have a wider range of accommodation choices available to them in accordance with the principles of the joint policy statement, "Housing Options for Our Ageing Population". This policy statement was published by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Department of Health on 27th February 2019. The policy statement is available on my Department's website at:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/special-housing-needs/older-people/housing-options-our-ageing-population-policy-statement.
The overall aim of the 40 Actions in the Joint Statement is to put policies in place to ensure that older people have a variety of housing options available to them depending on their circumstances, including housing with supports, where they are needed, as well as more independent living with minimum supports.
My Department and the policy Implementation Group are examining these options and a number of research projects are informing this work. It is intended that the Implementation Group will provide its final report addressing each of the 40 actions, including those relating to rightsizing, by the end of 2021. The housing needs of older persons are also being considered in the context of ongoing work on the Government's new Housing Strategy - Housing for All.
