Written Answers Nos. 781-793
781. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 98 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to review the application processes for social housing and other housing supports to ensure that they are accessible to autistic people and disabled people; and the estimated cost of implementing this proposal. [57337/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra782. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 99 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied), if he has plans to ensure that autism is regarded as a sensory disability by all local authorities for the purposes of accessing prioritised social housing provision. [57338/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra783. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 100 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied), if he has plans to provide adequate grants to allow for sensory rooms to be added to homes and the sensory proofing of homes for autistic people; and the estimated first and full year cost respectively of implementing this proposal. [57339/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra784. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 101 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to ensure that local authorities engage with schools to assist in developing suitable sensory provision for autistic children; and the estimated first and full year cost respectively of implementing this proposal. [57340/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra785. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 102 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to provide designated funding to local authorities to add sensory areas and communication boards to all playgrounds; and the estimated first and full year cost respectively of implementing this proposal. [57341/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra786. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 103 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to provide autism training to staff in local authorities and ensure that autism is accepted as a condition which qualifies for housing support; and the estimated cost of implementing this proposal. [57342/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra787. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 104 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to incentivise participation in continuing professional development courses in universal design and accessibility for architects and planners; and the estimated cost of implementing this proposal. [57343/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra788. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 105 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to liaise with professional bodies within architecture and planning to promote education in universal design and the implementation of Universal Design practices. [57344/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra789. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 106 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to engage with the Office of Public Works (OPW) to implement guidelines on making facilities and sites under their auspices more autism-friendly; and the estimated cost of implementing this proposal. [57345/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra790. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 107 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to provide autism training to tour guides and other public-facing OPW staff at heritage sites and cultural institutions; and the estimated cost of implementing this proposal. [57346/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra791. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 108 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to provide more opportunities for career development in public sector planning to retain planners; and the estimated cost of implementing this proposal. [57347/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra792. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in line with Action 109 of the Autism Committee’s Final Report (details supplied) if he has plans to recruit a designated Disability Officer in every local authority to advise autistic people and their families on accessing supports and assist them to complete the application process, where needed; and the estimated first and full year cost respectively of implementing this proposal. [57348/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to answer Questions Nos. 781 to 792, inclusive, together.
My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 with the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) in January 2022 and jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022–2027 Implementation Plan 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/
My Department is aware of the report of the Joint Committee on Autism, which was published in June 2023 and will give consideration to the relevant actions of that Report in conjunction with the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022–2027 Implementation Plan.
793. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the housing adaptation grant for older people and people with disabilities can be used for creating a sensory room and other structural adaptations in local authority homes (details supplied). [57379/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. Extensions to provide for ground floor bathrooms and bedrooms can also be supported.
This programme also provides capital funding to Local Authorities for Improvement Works in Lieu of local authority housing (IWIL’s) to enable them to repair, improve or extend privately owned houses that are occupied or will be occupied by approved housing applicants as an alternative to the provision of local authority housing. The scheme may also be used to improve private houses intended for occupation by a person surrendering a local authority house.
The Disabled Persons Grant funding may be considered for the provision of infrastructural and safety related adaptations to create appropriate space for applicants with specific sensory needs. Applications of this nature should be supported by a multidisciplinary assessment of the applicant by specialist healthcare professionals. This should outline who will be responsible for therapy services and/or the provision and upkeep of sensory related equipment. My Department does not fund the provision of sensory equipment.
