Ms Caroline Timmons:

I will respond to the last question first. Since 2019, we have had the Housing Options for our Ageing Population that comprises 40 actions and 32 of them have been completed. A report on all of the actions will shortly be available. The third and final report of the implementation group will continue work on the eight actions as well as the new actions in Housing for All, which can take that forward.

Aside from the policy basis, and I covered that in my opening statement, we are looking at how to let people age in place, how to provide grants if they want to live in their own house or if they want to move to supported housing and how best to address that. The other side of that policy space is funding. The Department has quite a good deal of funding available for older people's housing. Most people are aware of the capital assistance scheme, CAS, funding, which is obviously available for older people's housing. The budget for CAS last year was, I think, €93 million and obviously we have €96 million this year. Last year, we did 350 units and 150 bed spaces. The budget for this year will be €96 million for 400 units. In 2021, 54 units were age-friendly housing so CAS is always available for that. Interestingly, it is not just CAS that is being used to provide housing for older people it is the capital advance leasing facility or, CALF funding. As members will be aware, the CALF budget is much bigger at €293 million for 2022. There is a lot of access, particularly for approved housing bodies, AHBs, that want to specialise in older people's housing. The funding availability is there. Members will have seen organisations like Clann come forward and specialise. It is nice to see the bigger AHBs get into that and there is a host of smaller AHBs.