Jerry Buttimer (Cork South-Central, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for her question and her ongoing advocacy, particularly post Storm Éowyn. The Department is responsible for the seniors alert scheme, which encourages community support for older people through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme for the purchase by a registered community based-organisation of a personal alarm or pendant. While the provision of the monitored alarm under the scheme is vital, so too is the engagement between the local community groups that sign people up to the scheme and the connections made between local people and local support structures. Since the scheme was launched in 2015, 153,023 participants have been approved for the alarms, including over 18,200 in 2024.

With regard to the issue of copper lines, when a person has been approved for an alarm under the scheme, a technician will install the correct device depending on the connectivity options at the person’s home. Currently, devices provided under the scheme connect to monitoring services via landlines, including copper, or via broadband and mobile networks. I understand that a small number of seniors alert scheme devices still operate over copper telephone lines at premises where no other option presents itself or where the participant has not requested a replacement. I am assured that where viable, a broadband or mobile device will always be recommended to participants over the older landline devices.

Officials at my Department have been engaging with Pobal, representative groups and the relevant telecommuications operator on the potential impacts of the replacement of copper infrastructure and plans to phase out the use of remaining legacy devices.

Our Department is currently reviewing all aspects of the seniors alert scheme, including the technology and services available. I hope we will be in a position to launch a new iteration of the scheme some time next year. I thank the Deputy for this important question.

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