Maria Bailey (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I will not go near the housing adaptation grants. However, I have focused on this issue for many years and since I was elected to the Dáil I have been doing a fair amount of work and research on the area. When one considers the statistics for the next 20 years or so, which show that we will have 1.4 million people over 65 years of age, we have a prime opportunity here to make a difference in the next number of years, whether that is through purpose built units, addressing the issue with the current stock or giving people other options. I recognise that people might not want to downsize but I believe that is because there are no options available to them to do so. There are models across Europe and the US. I visited a couple of them in the US, probably 14 years ago, and some in Europe to get a sense of what we can deliver here. With regard to Great Northern Haven, how long did it take to deliver that from conception to turning the key?

My local authority in Dún Laoghaire has some fantastic models of purpose built units, such as in Rochestown House, where people could downsize. However, it was not so much that they want to downsize as it is to help with the financial burden and financial security. Most members of the committee canvas regularly and, particularly in winter, we see the number of single occupant houses, be they private or social houses, where people are living in one or two rooms in the house. That is because of the cost of maintaining the property. It is general knowledge that if there are options available, people generally do not wish to move more than a kilometre away from where they currently live because that is their community. They want to stay there because that is where they feel they have security, friendships and consistency. It is about quality of life for people.

I wish to focus on what purpose built options we can deliver, whether on State-owned land or by encouraging private developers to come forward with schemes. I am aware that some are already doing that. To be parochial again, although I doubt that I will mention Dún Laoghaire as many times as Carlow has been mentioned, there is a mixed tenure scheme in Shankhill for 540 units. Deputy Ó Broin is familiar with it. As part of that, we want to provide step-down units, both public and private, on that site.

Regardless of size, all houses on private developments - whether they have one, two, three or four bedrooms - must be age friendly. This will allow people living in three or four bedroom starter homes to downsize in the same development when their children leave home. The Rebuilding Ireland programme aims to achieve this objective through mixed tenure developments. I accept, however, that this is taking a long time to realise.

Last year, the Minister of State, Deputy Damien English, held a competition on homes for smart ageing. Even simple measures in the areas of design and construction can help. For example, few people think of installing saddle boards and hand rails. Moreover, when a house is being built the installation of an additional rolled steel joist, RSJ, will facilitate an extension to the side or back of the property 20 or 30 years later at substantially lower costs than would otherwise be the case. Additional structures could be provided to develop the property for split living or another purpose. The point is that properties can be adapted to meet the householder's needs at different times in his or her life.

I presume Mr. Lynch is familiar with many of the build to lease initiatives. Many build to rent properties are also coming on stream and we need to tap into this approach to a greater extent. If the proposed development in Cherrywood secures planning permission, the first phase will include build to rent properties.

While increasing construction costs by 3% may not seem significant to us, we must be careful as we have a housing crisis and we are trying to get banks to fund developers. Profit may be a bad word to some but developers need to make money from developing sites and offering houses at an affordable price point. An additional 3% in the cost on construction could be a barrier to development. We need to find imaginative ways to reduce this figure. I do not have all the answers but if we decide to require developers to build to age-friendly standards at an additional cost of 3%, we will have to sell that requirement in a way that does not place a further burden on the construction industry. I am being pragmatic and realistic in that regard.

We also need to tackle rural and suburban isolation. The organisations represented today are doing considerable work in this area. State-owned land will play a vital role if we are to develop housing for this purpose. I have been pushing hard to have State-owned land used to build housing for older people. A fantastic scheme under way in Ballinteer will provide older people with an option, although we are not trying to get people to move out of their homes if they do not want to do so. We are simply seeking to give them further options in terms of quality of life and help with financial security. We have a long way to go in this area but all sides have shown a willingness to deliver. A tremendous amount of work is being done locally, not only by local authorities but also by the various organisations involved in this area. The older people network in Dún Laoghaire is a superb organisation. I have ongoing engagement with a number of organisations on the policy initiatives I wish to advance.

A number of other issues were raised, including by Deputy Ó Broin. We want to give people security and choice. The issue is one of providing options. Whether this is done by the private or public sector makes no odds to me. This is about providing homes for people who are flexible throughout their lives. None of us knows what we will face tomorrow or the next day. I fully agree with the point made regarding the adaptation grants. None of us knows whether we will fall tomorrow or in six months. If a house, home or unit is built in a way that recognises that these things can happen, it eases the burden on the health care and home help systems.

We hope to have representatives of Home Instead and the Royal Institute of Architects before the joint committee in the weeks ahead. We have also written to Clúid and a number of other organisations seeking submissions. I have read the majority of the submissions the committee has received thus far. The issue now is one of formulating action. I am biased towards action because all the research has been done and it is now time to formulate ways of delivering. It would probably be easier to have five points at the beginning, especially if we are trying to filter down into local authorities, which have a significant role to play in this regard.

The local authorities do not need a mandate from the Department to do this. I believe there is a willingness there already to do this. We need our local elected representatives to come on board and, where Part 8s come forward, to agree to those breakdowns between social and private units and what is accessible.

I want to thank you all for coming here this morning and for the information that has been shared by the witnesses with the committee and the ongoing engagement that we have with many of those in attendance.

I really want to know what are the options that we can build now. Are they assisted living where we give over the first two or three floors in an apartment block to those supports and communal services where people live in self-contained apartments? Or is it stand-alone homes for people that will adapt throughout the next 20 or 30 years of their lives. I think we will be able to manage the mixed-tenure option and ensure that any developments coming forward will be age-friendly.

We should not even have to think of Part N. It should be a given that every unit is adaptable and flexible.