Ms Rosaleen Lally:

Recently in Dublin I had a meeting with a developer who planned to build some universally designed apartments. When we talked about the cost he said that the actual difference between a Part M apartment and a universal designed apartment is the same as installing a kitchen worth €20,000, which is what most people spend on installing a kitchen. When one considers universal design like that then it does not cost that much more and ensures one can live and age in one's home whether that is for an able-bodied person or a person with a disability, or one wants to plan for the future. I have mentioned what the developer said and he had done quite a bit of research so discovered that it costs around €20,000 for a fully wheelchair-liveable home.