Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Kenny, Ms Timmons and Ms MacLellan for their presentations and papers. This is a continuation of a discussion we had last week. I will make a few points and ask a few questions.

The national housing strategy for people with a disability includes nine key areas, about all of which the delegates know. Therefore, I will not repeat them. The aims include promoting and mainstreaming equality of access to the full range of housing options; developing national protocols and frameworks for effective inter-agency co-operation in the provision of housing; and supporting people with disabilities. I have been a member of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for many years, but my experience is not specific to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. It extends to other councils and stems from my engagement with local authorities.

I know people with disabilities who have been waiting for accommodation for ten, 12 and 13 years. That is a travesty. When we talk about independent living, we have to talk about sustainable living and independent living with dignity in order that the individual can engage in his or her meaningful life and live with whomever he or she wishes. That was an interesting point made by Ms Kathleen MacLellan. I wish to touch on a few issues.

In my experience, people have been waiting for years on the housing list and sometimes they are asked why they are not back living with their parents. A woman aged 30 years told me the other day that she was asked why she was not back with her parents and that the officials could not find suitable accommodation and that the accommodation that was coming back from housing stock was not suitable for whatever reason. I can understand that. However, I am conscious that in another part of Dublin, Clúidwill be building 90 houses. I rang them to ask whether Clúid had considered that 10% of the houses should be suitable for people with disabilities. They said they had not yet, but they had thought about it. I think we have got to get in earlier in the planning process. I have three questions for Ms Rose Kenny from Dublin City Council. Will Ms Kenny share the information with the committee on the current number of persons on Dublin City Council's housing list or the transfer list who have come from congregated setting and have been housed in the past 12 months? I accept she may not have the information to hand. Has Dublin City Council rolled out a one-stop shop for providing services for persons with disability as per the strategy plan? There was a commitment that one-stop shops would be set up in each local authority and I would be interested in hearing about that.

In respect of planning, I have heard reports of people who are seeking planning permission either to build a property in the grounds of their parents or a family member's house or on a stand-alone site and there does not seem to be a heavy weighting by planning authorities in recognising the exceptional health circumstances of the applicant. This is not just something that the individual has made up, this is something that is backed up by doctors and consultants' reports and so on. There was to be a weighting to support people who wish to build a specially adapted house on a site. That is a planning code issue but I ask Ms Kenny to address that.

Each of the 31 local authorities has a housing steering committee. Are they constantly reviewed? For instance, were this committee to seek a report on each of the steering committees regarding their targets and achievements in the past 12 months, could that be delivered to the committee? Could we receive a report on each of the 31 local authorities or is the Department aware of it? Who is monitoring the steering committees and what are the outputs? What strikes me about this issue is that we have reams of paper and numerous objectives but I do not know who is monitoring it all. I want to see results. Who are the key people in these 31 local authorities, as I would like to have a name and a contact number for them? When was the last appraisal of the delivery on the strategy? I would like this committee to see them and perhaps Ms Kenny might be able to tell us something about them.

I have some questions for Ms Kathleen MacLellan on the targets for those living in congregated settings. The targets were missed. The target was that a substantial number would be transferred from congregated in 2019. I acknowledge there are difficulties in terms of sourcing suitable accommodation because it is not good enough to take people out of congregated settings and excuse the pun, dump them in other accommodation. What I have heard is that some people have been forced out of congregated settings and have been sent many miles away from the community in which they have grown up and have been given no supports. I keep hearing that the local authorities do not have sufficient money or resources in terms of the transitional supports for these people. What is the plan for them? How is it dovetailing with the local authorities because I am not convinced? I am aware of one organisation from where 20 people have had to leave and they have not had good experiences. What is more important is that they have not had a forum or anybody to listen to their bad experiences and to think of what can be done for them. Are we learning from their experience? What is the relationship between the agencies and the local authorities in terms of getting priority for housing that is appropriate to their needs, that is close to their loved ones and social support, where they want to live, because the key word is choice?