Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank my colleague and friend, Senator Reilly, for tabling this important motion. I also acknowledge the work of Councillor Tom O'Leary on the motion for which I thank him.

Earlier today, we had a very good debate on housing and now, in tandem, we are looking at another aspect of housing. While many Senators have spoken about rural Ireland, the demand for housing in urban centres also has changed considerably through a combination of demographic and lifestyle changes as we are living longer. When he was the Minister for Health, Senator Reilly always spoke about people being treated close to home. In this case, the same applies regarding keeping people at home. The Minister of State is very familiar with this and I commend him on the work he is doing, particularly with local authorities.

People are now looking for sustainable apartment living rather than the traditional low-density three-bedroom semi-detached homes. This presents a problem because the cost base is an issue for the viability of such projects. The important motion before us focuses on the new need for independent living, sheltered housing and downsizing and is about ensuring that we plan and put in place a model for delivery. A comprehensive plan is required in order that we can keep people in independent living.

In his contribution, Senator Dolan spoke about the jobs issue. The Action Plan for Jobs was successful because it focused minds at a time when unemployment was at 16%. It is now below 5%. The action plan for housing, Rebuilding Ireland, shows the Government has allocated the highest amount of money to housing, at €2.4 billion, but we must deliver. Senator Warfield referred to student accommodation, about which Senator Ardagh also spoke on the Order of Business. It is being built because, as is the case with commercial premises, it is viable and consequently, developers will build. We must address the cost base of construction because it is linked to the heart of the motion we are debating, which is offering housing options.

I welcome the decision of Cork County Council to create more sheltered housing as part of its development plan. The Ministers of State, Deputies English and Jim Daly, held a very successful housing conference at the end of last year with regard to the needs of older people. At the time, the Minister of State used a good phrase. He referred to the need to enable older people to "rightsize" with regard to their accommodation.

I am heading towards being over 55. When I canvass and knock on doors, I see the number of empty houses of people who are in nursing homes or hospital wards for the elderly. I also see the number of older people who answer the door but who live in one or two rooms of their houses. I would love the Minister of State to visit Lapp's Court on Hartland's Avenue. I know he was in Kilmaley with the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly. They are models of independent living that we can recreate throughout the country and we must consider them.

Traditionally, the options have been nursing homes and county homes, and in the case of Cork we have St. Finbarr's, or staying at home in a big ramshackle three-bedroom semi-detached house. In the earlier debate on housing, I made the point that half of the people on the housing list in Cork city and county are single people. We must address this need. Dare I say it, at the risk of incurring the wrath of some, many members of the LGBT community are single or in couples. We must build houses to meet this need also. We must look at the new plan and see how we can accommodate the needs of older maturing LGBTQ people, along with the needs of married couples, widows and widowers who want to downsize.

I very much welcome the cross-departmental link between health and housing. The conference held last year was important. The cost of care for the elderly runs to almost €2 billion. Building on last year's conference and supported by this motion, we can be innovative and creative. As Senator Reilly said, we can look for ways to incentivise. This is an important motion. It is one that plans for the future and sends a positive message. Every week we all hear from people on housing lists and people who own their own homes who tell us they want to downsize. They all want to live in their communities and go to mass, the shop, the chiropodist, the grocery store, the doctor and, perhaps, amble up to the pub although we are not supposed to be pro-drink. This is the model we need to have.