Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 May 2022
234. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details regarding any research carried out on behalf of his Department into the level of requirement for wheelchair-liveable homes on social housing lists at a national level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27020/22]
View answer235. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the housing needs demand assessment being carried out by each local authority assesses and includes figures related to the level of requirement for wheelchair-liveable homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27022/22]
View answer236. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the details of any research that has been carried out into the level of demand for wheelchair-liveable homes by or on behalf of his Department; the number of wheelchair-liveable homes that are expected to be delivered under Housing for All by year-end 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27023/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 234, 235 and 236 together.
The initiation, design, planning, development and management of housing projects is a matter for local authorities in exercise of their statutory functions as Housing Authorities. In March, 2021 my Department introduced a revised social housing application form, in consultation with the local authority sector, to include an identifier for persons requiring 'wheelchair liveable' accommodation.
My Department is collaborating with the LGMA and the Housing Agency on a project examining, inter alia, how the data captured in the Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA) aligns with changes made to the social housing application form, including in respect of a need for 'wheelchair liveable' accommodation. This work will be completed before the 2022 SSHA exercise commences.
Objective 37 of the National Planning Framework requires each local authority to carry out a Housing Needs Demand Assessment (HNDA) in order to correlate and accurately align overall future housing requirements, as an evolution of their existing Housing Strategy requirements under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000. The HNDA framework also aims to ensure support of independent living for people requiring more specialised types of housing or support needs, including accessible and wheelchair housing.
I launched a new joint National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 on 14 January 2022, together with my colleagues Mr Peter Burke, Minister of State for Local Government and Panning and Ms. Anne Rabbitte, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for Disability (available at gov.ie - National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 (www.gov.ie) ) The new Strategy sets out the vision for the cooperation and collaboration of Government Departments, state agencies and others in delivering housing and the related supports for disabled people over the next five years. This new Strategy will operate within the framework of Housing for All – A New Housing Plan for Ireland which is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing with an appropriate mix of housing design types provided within social housing, including universally designed units, is available to everyone in Irish society, including those with disabilities. Preparation of an Implementation Plan for the Strategy is underway with a target for completion by the second quarter of 2022.
A key action of Housing for All is that local authorities will prepare Housing Delivery Action Plans to include details of their anticipated delivery of social housing over the period 2022-2026 including housing for disabled people. The Plans are informed by the targets for social housing delivery contained in Housing for All, and individual targets issued to each local authority in September 2021 for the same period. They set out details of local authority delivery in addition to other delivery partners, including Approved Housing Bodies. This is the first such multi-annual delivery planning undertaken by the sector and will be an iterative process throughout the 5 years. The plans will be published by local authorities before the end of Quarter 2 2022.
