asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state in relation to the local authority housing schemes coming before him for approval, the degree to which each local authority has implemented the recommendation of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Care of the Aged that at least 10 per cent of their housing programme be provided as special housing for elderly persons; and if he intends to take any special steps to improve the position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing of the Aged.
69.
In my reply to a supplementary question by the Deputy, arising from my reply to Question No. 133 of the 15th June, 1972, on the subject, I told him that I am kept informed, in relation to proposals coming before my Department, of the number of dwellings included in schemes specially designed to accommodate elderly persons. In consequence I am aware, generally, of the extent to which housing authorities are implementing the recommendation of the interdepartmental committee on the care of the aged that at least 10 per cent of their housing programmes should be provided as special housing for elderly persons. A record is not, however, maintained in my Department of the numbers of dwellings for elderly persons included by housing authorities in each of their normal schemes, and it would not be possible, without involving an inordinate amount of staff time, to assemble details of such provision for each housing authority. Broadly it is estimated that in recent years about 9 per cent of the dwellings in building proposals coming before my Department were of a type suitable and mainly intended for rehousing elderly persons.
I would reiterate the points made in my earlier reply that the housing needs of elderly persons in rural areas are being met to a substantial extent by the provision of prefabricated, demountable and mobile dwellings, of which over 1,700 have been provided over the past five years and that additional numbers of elderly persons are rehoused indirectly through the operation of approved schemes of letting priorities.
In general, I am satisfied that housing authorities are responding well to my appeals and that the provision that they have been making for rehousing elderly persons is not unreasonable having regard to other urgent housing needs. They have not, as yet, adopted a uniform practice of putting a minimum percentage of old persons dwellings in every sizeable scheme. I must leave it to the individual housing authority to decide how many special dwellings to build and where they are to be provided. I hope that local authorities will inspect the prototype dwellings to which I referred in my earlier reply and that they will be encouraged by this example to make more uniform provision in their schemes for elderly persons—and, indeed, for small families generally.
Would the Minister tell me if he is aware of any individual local authority which has been particularly remiss in regard to the provision of its quota of houses for elderly people?
I could not tell the Deputy offhand of any particular local authority which I would consider had been remiss in dealing with this matter. Has the Deputy a particular local authority in mind?
I have not the same facilities as the Minister for collecting this information. Could the Minister tell me if there are such local authorities and what steps are open to him to take to ensure that local authorities do provide an adequate number of houses for elderly people?
The Deputy knows well that I have been encouraging local authorities, as I indicated in my reply, to provide a certain percentage of houses for the accommodation of elderly persons. It is up to each local authority, having assessed the needs of the area, to draw up plans for providing adequately for those needs. Such plans are put before the Department. I will continue to encourage local authorities to give consideration to the needs of this particular category, as well as to the needs of other categories in need of rehousing.