Information on the number of dwellings completed by local authorities for elderly people in 2001 and 2002 is set out in the following table. A breakdown, by individual local authority, of the total number of houses completed by local authorities and the voluntary sector in 2001 and 2002 is contained in my Department's annual housing statistics bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.
The statutory assessment of local authority housing need is undertaken every three years. The most recent assessment undertaken by local authorities, in March 2002, indicated that a total of 48,413 households were in need of housing, of which 2,006 were elderly person households or 4% of net need. Detailed information on the results of the 2002 assessment was published in my Department's September 2002 quarterly edition of the housing statistics bulletin.
Under the terms of my Department's voluntary housing capital assistance scheme, as amended in November 2001, up to 25% of sheltered housing accommodation in a project which is funded under the scheme may be made available for allocation to elderly emigrants returning to this country from abroad who satisfy the eligibility criteria. To qualify for accommodation provided under the scheme, applicants must be elderly persons who emigrated from Ireland to another country and be either in existing social housing or private rented accommodation in their country of residence. In addition, their circumstances must be such that they could not provide suitable accommodation for themselves out of their own resources on returning to this country. The assessment of the circumstances of such emigrants is undertaken by the Safe Home organisation, without the need for applicants to return for assessment. This avoids the need for elderly applicants for accommodation provided under the capital assistance scheme to return to be formally assessed as being in need of social housing by the relevant housing authority here.
