Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 30 March 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters

Housing Policy and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Photo of Peter BurkePeter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My thanks to Senator Higgins for raising those important points. The Minister will be setting the affordability criteria by regulation in respect of the Land Development Agency. This will be a key driver in delivering affordable and social homes. Reference has been made to liaising with the local authority. The local authority will be driving this with the Land Development Agency as the product manager carrying out work on these sites. The disability groups within the local authorities will shape the demand in each different area. It will be up to the local authority to ensure it is delivered through the Land Development Agency. It is something we are keen to look at to try to increase the level of housing available for those with a disability. We are doing that through all the schemes.

I mentioned the major increase in scale. I know we are coming from a low base but there has been a major increase. I cited 300% over five years under the capital assistance scheme in delivering construction units suitable for people with disability and to encourage independent living.

Deputy Canney has acknowledged the support we need to get to the appropriate place in terms of the building control regulations. Currently, the National Disability Authority and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are looking at how we can bring universal design more into the delivery of new units. That working group is entitled Building for Everyone and is due to report soon. We are currently working on that across the Department.

Reference was made to public areas and planning. One of the key actors within the Department is the urban regeneration and development fund. That is one thing we will really prioritise. We have had an allocation of €1.3 billion in the past three weeks to try to unlock the potential for all citizens within our regional cities and towns. We are talking about making publicly-run places more conducive for people from all sectors of society, including those with disabilities. One key asset we have is a competitive process to unlock the potential of our towns and cities. I see that as an important process in delivering on this measure as well.

The Senator referred to various schemes to help to keep people in their homes. As I said to Deputy Canney, they are being reviewed at the end of the year. We have had one application process to cover three schemes. We have improved our language in terms of ensuring it meets the threshold of plain English and that it is accessible for people. We are willing to work with and assist people through that process with a shared goal whatever the sector. This applies whether we are talking about the private rental sector, working through the disabled person grant scheme with a local authority or where a person owns his or her own home and is looking for an intervention through adaptation and mobility grants. All those different grants to try to unlock the potential. The Senator rightly said that time has passed since the UN charter was signed. Two-year and four-year reporting mechanisms will be built into the agreement. Now we are approaching our two-year reporting mechanism. We are looking under the various different areas at the progress we have made. We acknowledge that we have a great deal more to do.

Articles 9 and 19 directly impact on our Department in terms of delivering housing. I have referred to the work we have done relating to Part M of second schedule to the building regulations.

I have also referenced ongoing work with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. We have moved to have disability certificates for commercial apartment blocks and buildings. We have age-friendly and walkability surveys for 52 towns. I have mentioned how a streamlined application process for the urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, could unlock that potential and make centres more age-friendly or disability-friendly. All of these are key in terms of Article 9.

The main thrust of our national disability strategy comes into being through Article 19. This is borne out by how we work in close co-operation with our agencies to deliver disability housing and give people the choice and independence to live in their own homes or in supported accommodation. That is so important and we are working to do that. We work closely with the HSE in delivering that.

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