Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 October 2023
131. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the progress of Actions 7.1 to 7.6 of Housing for All to date, and other actions his Department is taking to increase the supply of housing for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44387/23]
View answerMy Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in January 2022 and the Implementation Plan for the Strategy on 22 June 2023. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027/.
The Strategy and Implementation Plan operate under the framework of Housing for All-A New Plan for Ireland (published in September 2021) which provides a new housing plan for Ireland to 2030 with the overall objective that every citizen in the State should have access to good quality homes through a steady supply of housing in the right locations, with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The strategy sets out, over four pathways, a broad suite of measures to achieve its policy objectives together with a financial commitment of in excess of €4 billion per annum. The Plan 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 disabled people.
Housing Delivery Action Plans provide details of local authority anticipated delivery of social housing over the period 2022-2026 including housing for disabled people and these have been published by each local authority on their website. This is the first such multi-annual delivery planning undertaken by the sector and will be an iterative process throughout the 5 years.
Disability Friendly Technical Advisers are in place in each local authority and local authority Housing and Disability Steering Groups are reporting quarterly to their Chief Executive Officer and the Strategic Policy Committee on the implementation of their Strategic Plans for disabled people.
My Department reviewed the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability grants scheme and among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds (including the means test provisions) and grant limits, and the application and decision-making processes including the supplementary documentation required. On foot of my consideration of the review Report, my Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on the recommendations in the Review report, and this engagement is ongoing at present.
I am therefore pleased to report that Actions 7.1 to 7.6 of Housing for All on increasing and improving housing options and supports for disabled people are substantially advanced and that my focus will be on ensuring implementation of the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 Implementation Plan under the framework of Housing for All.
