Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses. My colleague, Senator Dolan, has been highlighting disability constantly and has gone to the 31 local authorities with the issues. There are massive issues. Children with a disability are not a priority and we need a system whereby children and adults with disabilities are prioritised, so that when we go to a local authority, we know they are on a list and will get a house as quickly as possible. I understand a certain amount of time will be required. This is not happening and it is a huge issue. Why is this not happening in 2019?

Ms Timmons spoke about the national housing strategy for people with a disability not having been reviewed in eight years. That should be reviewed. This is huge because the system has changed so much. Whether it is children or adults with disabilities, people are living longer. We need to look at the review as soon as possible.

Eight years is too long. How long will it take for those carrying out the review to be ready to go to all the local authorities and to work with all the agencies? On the HSE, at the moment I am dealing with the case of a man in his 70s who is in Kilkenny hospital. We cannot bring him back to Carlow because he has nowhere to go. He needs to be in a special house for those with disabilities. He has a lovely family but they will not be able to look after him. He has been taking up a hospital bed for seven months. It is unacceptable. He should be at home. Every time I go to the health board about his case I am told that the health service has nowhere for him to go. He is in hospital and should not be. I am sure this must be happening in other cases around the country. I am really worried about this particular case. It is a real concern for me and for his family.

I would like to speak about grants. There is the mobility aids grant, the housing adaptation grant, and housing aid for the elderly. This is another massive issue. Payments are made twice a year 99% of the time. There is a backlog and when people apply they get letters saying that their applications are on hold as the service is waiting for funding. This normally arrives in September. The funding normally comes in January, then there seems to be a bit of a break in July and August, and another allocation seems to be given out in September. That is unacceptable. People are waiting for months and months for grants. This is a particular problem because of changes in the grants. One now has to be 66 years of age to get a grant, although it was always 64. This change was sneaked in overnight approximately two years ago. The age barrier is becoming a massive issue. People who have had strokes or who have multiple sclerosis or other issues are applying for these grants. I know there is a hardship grant, and we are looking at that as well, but there are people who genuinely need these grants who are not getting them. They are waiting months and months.

A massive issue which really concerns me is the approval rate for applications for housing adaptation grants made by local authority tenants, which appears to be approximately 50%. For what reasons are the remaining 50% not approved? I know of cases in which patients have been given letters from their doctors or from doctors in different hospitals saying that they need such a grant but in which the occupational therapist who visits them says that they do not. I am not criticising anybody. When a doctor gives a letter and when someone has a really good case to receive a grant, as the witnesses will know, part of the procedure is for someone from the local authority to call out to assess the case. In some cases people are being told they do not qualify for this grant but they are asking why they do not as they have a disability or another mobility issue. There are issues here. We need more communication between the HSE, whichever one of the 31 local authorities is involved in a given case, and the person who applied for the grant. It is very disheartening to be told one should have a grant only to find out one will not get it. It might not be an issue of money. It may just be that the local authority officer feels that the person does not qualify. Perhaps the witnesses could come back to me on that issue.

Another issue I want to ask about, and another reason the review is needed, is mental health. Senator Boyhan asked about the steering committees. The issue of mental health is massive. Having sent letters on behalf of people who suffer from depression or whatever, I can see that they are not treated as a priority. Every local authority, every councillor, every Deputy and every Senator should have a list of priorities for this review. Such priorities could include people with disabilities, people with mental health problems, and people with other issues. I do not think mental health is being given priority. It needs to be included in this review.

How many bungalows are built every year? Bungalows are very important for people with disabilities. This will be an issue in the long term both for people with disabilities and because people are living longer. In fairness, a very large amount of money goes into grants. Are the 31 local authorities asked how many bungalows they are building? The witnesses have said they get reviews from the local authorities. How many bungalows are built by local authorities for people, including children, with disabilities or for people with other issues who would benefit from living in a bungalow?