Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Tully for raising this very important issue.

The new joint National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 was developed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and was published, as the Deputy said, on 14 January 2022. The strategy places an emphasis on disabled people having choice and control over their living arrangements. It demonstrates the Government's commitment to providing equal access to housing for all.

The strategy is operating within the framework of Housing for All, which is committed to ensuring that affordable, quality housing with an appropriate mix of housing design types provided within social housing, including universally designed units, is available to everyone in Irish society, including people with disabilities. The plan sets out, over four pathways, a broad suite of measures to achieve its policy objectives together with a financial commitment of in excess of €4 billion per annum. The joint strategy sets out the vision for the co-operation and collaboration of Departments, State agencies and others in delivering housing and the related supports for disabled people over the next five years.

Among the objectives of the strategy is to meet our commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to facilitate disabled people to live independently and as part of the community. The strategy aims to ensure that disabled people have equal access to housing and clearer pathways to accessing support services, promoting their inclusion in the community from a housing perspective. Work has been under way since the publication of the new strategy to achieve the objectives set out in it. The Housing Agency, together with all Departments and agencies involved, has also been developing an implementation plan to ensure that a comprehensive suite of actions involving all stakeholders that will ensure the delivery of the high-level objectives is put in place. A national implementation steering group has already been established and is being chaired by the Housing Agency. The group is actively advancing implementation of the strategy and will have responsibility for the delivery of the actions in the implementation plan.

I have only recently got delegated power in this area. I have made this a priority. I have worked with my officials on the document. People know my background. I have a particular commitment to people with disabilities so I want to make this plan up to date and robust. We now have, I believe, a plan that is very much up to date. It is being looked at now in this regard by our co-Departments, namely, the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. We are looking to publish, in conjunction with the launch, an awareness campaign in the coming weeks. I give that assurance to the Deputy and, more particularly, people with disabilities. I really want this Government to be absolutely committed to people with disabilities. However, it is not just about publishing an implementation plan; it is about publishing an implementation plan that is up to date and robust and delivers for people with disabilities. We are, as I said, finalising that. It is with our two partnership Departments, namely, the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

We will look to launch the document very shortly along with an awareness campaign as well.

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