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

I appreciate the opportunity to address the House on this important matter. Addressing homelessness is a top priority for the Government. We remain committed to working with all key stakeholders to reduce and prevent homelessness across Ireland, including homelessness among our more vulnerable people, including our older people, disabled people and Travellers. Our new housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities, is an integrated housing and homelessness plan in which the Government recognises that homelessness is the single most pressing social issue that we face. The plan introduces a number of new measures to address homelessness.

One priority action is the development of a whole-of-government homelessness prevention framework. The Department of housing is leading on the development of this framework and all key stakeholders, including other Departments, are closely involved in the process. The focus of the prevention framework is to ensure there are increased efforts to tackle the causes of homelessness and increase the level of activity aimed at reducing presentations to homeless services. We recognise the need to focus prevention measures on cohorts most at risk. As such, we will explore additional measures that can be put in place to support at-risk cohorts such as older people, disabled people and Travellers, as I have referenced.

In addition to developing the framework, we are also working closely with local authorities to accelerate exits from emergency accommodation. We are committed to ensuring the necessary funding is in place to address homelessness. Some €560 million is available in 2026 to ensure local authorities can provide sufficient emergency accommodation, as well as essential related services, including homelessness prevention supports, day services and tenancy sustainment measures.

We are taking measures to increase the delivery of housing for older people and address homelessness in this cohort. As we are all aware, Ireland has an ageing population. Census 2022 data confirmed that lreland's ageing population is increasing significantly, with the population aged 65 and over growing by 35% since 2013, which is over double the EU average increase of 17.3%. Projections indicate that the number of older people in Ireland will be approximately 21% of the population by 2040. In addition, it is expected that the population aged over 85 will increase by more than 140%.

The Government is committed to increasing housing available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence and to supporting right-sizing on a voluntary basis. The Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future, recognising this demographic change for older people, includes commitments to deliver practical housing options for positive ageing. A working group established in my Department considered how best to progress these commitments and informed the development of the new national housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The delivery of more suitable homes and choice for older people, including measures that support independent living, has been firmly prioritised in the actions set out in the plan. It is highlighted in the plan that the overall aim of policy is to increase delivery of house choices for older people across both public and private housing to facilitate them to age in place, in their own homes or in their community, with dignity and independence.

I have just come from the launch of a collaborative housing development in Richmond Place, Inchicore, involving the Departments of health and housing, Dublin City Council, Circle Voluntary Housing Association and ALONE. A total of 68 residents are getting supports in addition to housing. It is very much an innovative approach in terms of people being able to live independently. People are moving there from areas close by and it is catering to their needs. It is an approach we are looking to progress in greater numbers.

The national housing plan includes commitments to work with local authorities in a number of ways, including the introduction of dedicated older people social housing annual targets in each local authority's housing delivery action plan. This is something on which I am very strong. The plan commits to the introduction of more efficient collection processes for data on older people housing delivery and allocations, having regard to older people and homelessness. There is also a commitment to improved site identification to support more targeted local authority and approved housing body delivery specifically for older people and provide accessible locations within local communities. In addition, we recognise the increased number of older people renting in the private rented sector. Therefore, the new housing plan commits to examining the affordability challenges for older people approaching retirement in this sector. Work on how to address these challenges and deliver this commitment is under way.

Delivering Homes, Building Communities also includes actions to provide greater choice to older people, including through increased delivery of more suitable homes through housing strategies in all tenures. We will continue to work with the AHB sector, local authorities and other stakeholders in supporting the continued delivery of housing for older people. The new housing plan includes a Government commitment to work collaboratively through the establishment of a co-operation framework between the Departments of health and housing, across which I have responsibility for older people, to improve the integration of health and social care supports and housing for older people. I saw that in action at the Richmond Place housing project today. This work will include building on the learnings from existing projects of supported housing for older people to support wider future delivery.

The housing needs of older people are diverse. Policy responses will need to address housing choice and deliver solutions in both public and private housing as well as support those who choose to voluntarily right-size. We want to provide choice. If people wish to purchase a home more suitable to their needs, we will support them by, among other measures, advancing consideration of the availability of bridging finance. If people wish to adapt their homes to suit their needs within the home, perhaps by converting their homes into separate living spaces, we will support that. We are looking at planning exemptions in this area to support greater choice. It is all about providing choices to older people that they can avail of on a voluntary basis. As our population ages, it is essential that we increase delivery of homes for older people and deliver more homes that are suited to their needs. We must provide choice for older people in a way that supports them to live independently and remain connected to their communities. Delivering Homes, Building Communities is a reflection of this and of the Government's commitment to ensuring older people have the opportunity to avail of increased housing choice for ageing in place.

Census 2022 indicated that 22% of the population, or just over 1.1 million people, have experienced at least one long-lasting health condition or difficulty to a greater extent. The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 and its associated implementation plan, operating under the new housing plan, present the framework for delivering housing for disabled people in conjunction with the necessary support, as required. The Government is committed to ensuring disabled people are supported and encouraged to live independently and to addressing homelessness. Co-operation and collaboration among Departments, State agencies and others are key in delivering housing and related supports for disabled people.

The housing adaptation grant for older people and disabled people is an important support in assisting people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. These grants are available to people with an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability, and to older people who experience mobility issues or require essential necessary repairs to their home in order to continue to live independently at home. Funding for the housing adaptation grant has been increasing year on year since 2014, facilitating the payment of more than 180,000 grant claims. We have increased the allocation for the housing adaptation grant to €130 million for 2026. This increase of €30 million on 2025 funding is in line with commitments in the programme for Government and ensures the continued year-on-year increases in funding for the grant scheme since 2014. This funding will facilitate the payment of some 17,000 grant claims as well as the continued implementation of the revised scheme. The continued enhancement of this significantly important grant scheme is a priority for the Government.

Addressing the accommodation needs of Travellers continues to be a Government priority. In the past six years from 2020 to 2025, a cumulative capital investment of more than €125 million has been provided to local authorities for delivering Traveller-specific accommodation. This investment continues in 2026 in line with the action set out in our new housing plan. The Government continues to invest in high-quality Taveller-specific accommodation, with increased capital funding of €26 million provided in 2026. The caravan loan scheme provided accommodation for 85 Traveller families in 2025 and will continue to deliver for Traveller families in the years ahead.

The Government will continue to ensure that housing is delivered though the well-established capital funding schemes for both local authorities and approved housing bodies to meet the needs of all people accessing social housing, including vulnerable groups. We are fully committed to ensuring the measures outlined in the new housing plan are implemented to address homelessness, including for older people, disabled people and Travellers. I will continue to work with my ministerial colleagues, Members from all sides in this House and in the Seanad, and all stakeholders to deliver homes and build the communities we need to meet housing needs now and into the future.

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