Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 10 May 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government

Housing Provision for Older People: Discussion

Dr. Nat O'Connor:

If I could come in on the zoning question, we would look at planning rather than zoning in the sense that we would be wary of an idea that older persons should be segregated. In fact, if people want to stay in their own home, if we have universal design in modern homes that allows adaptation, for example, a downstairs loo and access for a wheelchair or mobility devices, people should be able to live in their communities. A planning requirement of a certain percentage of houses with universal design - we have that but they could be grown - and, likewise, a planning requirement for accommodation for older persons rather than necessarily separate zoning would be the way we would look at that.