Ms Mary Hurley:

I thank the Chairman and members of the joint committee for inviting me to attend and giving me this opportunity to brief them on the very important issue of housing for older people. I am joined by my departmental colleague, Ms Sarah Neary, principal housing adviser.

While Ireland is a relatively young country in comparative terms, one of the key challenges facing it is planning for and addressing the needs of the rapidly ageing population. In recognising and valuing the achievement and benefits of the population living longer, we need to ensure quality of life is maintained and nurtured. Government policy on housing for older people, as set out in the programme for Government and Rebuilding Ireland, is to support older people to live with dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Research has consistently shown that older people wish to age in a place close to their family and friends and in the community where they may have lived for many years. This policy approach is also seen as being both cost effective and contributing to a greater sense of well-being for older people.

For many, living in adapted or specialist housing reduces reliance on health and social care services and can result in measurably improved health status. My colleagues in the Department of Health are best placed to speak about these issues. However, it is important to acknowledge that housing policy on older people is broader and more complex than the mere provision of housing. Addressing the needs of older people requires a cross-departmental approach and inter-agency co-operation. The provision of housing for older people, particularly as we look at the future needs of the ageing population, will require a good mix of housing and health policy. Towards that end, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Department of Health have been working closely together in recent months. We are finalising a joint policy statement on housing for older people which it is envisaged will be published this summer. We want to ensure older people will have a wider choice of appropriate housing options suited to their needs, including housing with care services and supported housing, and to give them an opportunity to plan for their changing needs in good time. As consulting key stakeholders and interested parties is a crucial part of this work, we may develop policy options that are responsive to the diverse needs of older people.

The policy statement will be a first step in the broader process and it is proposed to hold a conference later in the year. It will be a consultative forum for all stakeholders and interested parties to identify and discuss the range of issues ikely to emerge. The conference will be hosted jointly by the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and urban renewal, Deputy Damien English, and the Minister of State with responsibility for older people, Deputy Jim Daly. St. Michael's estate in Inchicore has been identified as a housing with support pilot model under Rebuilding Ireland and will deliver 52 care homes which are due for completion in 2020. It is a collaborative project between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Department of Health, the HSE, Dublin City Council and the Irish Council for Social Housing. It is intended to set a new standard for the future of housing provision for older people to act as an exemplar for others to follow. The project has been approved for funding of almost €15 million under the Department's capital assistance scheme, with a contribution of €450,000 from the Department of Health towards additional communal facilities for the residents.

On the challenge we face on housing generally, I reassure the committee that Rebuilding Ireland contains specific commitments to meet the housing needs of the vulnerable in society who include older people. In addition, local authorities have been advised that the delivery of social housing targets under Rebuilding Ireland should be consistent with the housing need identified in the annual summary of social housing assessments, which means that the housing needs of older people will be addressed. It should be noted that Part M of the building regulations also sets out the minimum statutory requirements a building must achieve in respect of access and aims to foster an inclusive approach to the design and construction of the built environment underpinning the principle of universal design. If the committee wishes, further detail can be provided on Part M requirements, the implementation of which is very important in meeting the needs of a range of individuals, including the older population.

In line with a commitment in Rebuilding Ireland, the Department, in collaboration with the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, ran the homes for smart ageing universal design challenge which aimed to stimulate and encourage the design and construction industries to be innovative in designing and delivering housing solutions for older people. The challenge attracted more than 60 high quality entries, which was testament to the high level of engagement by the industry in designing and delivering innovative housing solutions for older people. The competition winner, the Abhaile project, has established itself as a new enterprise and is actively pursuing pilot projects and clients with its innovative housing solution.

As members are aware, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government provides significant funding for social housing projects incorporating housing for older people. In addition, we support adaptations to private housing through the housing adaptation grants scheme for older people and people with a disability. The Department also provides funding and policy support for the local government sector in respect of the age friendly Ireland initiative which is active across all local authority areas. These supports are aimed at facilitating the changes needed to make the homes of older people and people with a disability more suitable and to enable them to continue living independently in their own homes for longer, as well as facilitating early return from hospital stays. Rebuilding Ireland has committed to increasing the funding available for these grants. In fact, funding has increased year on year since 2014.

Total funding in 2018 is €62.2 million, which represents an increase of 11% on the total for 2017 Further consideration will be given to increasing this funding in the coming years in the context of Rebuilding Ireland. The grants are also being made more accessible with a new single application form to be issued soon, with an easy to read guide to filling in the form.

With my colleague, Ms Sarah Neary, I will be happy to take questions from members and engage on the issues raised during the course of the debate.