Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is not a successful scheme in Westport, where there is a lady who, according to the ALONE survey, is confined to the top floor of her house while awaiting a grant. It is not a successful scheme in Galway, where older people are waiting for money approved in 2022. A woman who is a high-priority case is housebound because she cannot leave her third-floor apartment without works first being completed to facilitate this. She has been waiting since 2022, and lives in social housing. ALONE staff have described the situation as "barbaric". Similar cases have been highlighted elsewhere by staff, including in Dublin.

I do not doubt the integrity or intentions of the Minister of State, but I found the last part of his response did not really give me the facts because it referred to the "emerging recommendations". I think we need to publish them. We need to have representatives of ALONE and other groups and people who care about older people and those with disabilities discuss these issues and have a factual, truthful analysis. We need to get the money for all these families and all these people, and get it now.

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