Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising what I think is a very important issue. Obviously, I am replying on behalf of my colleagues, the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and the Ministers of State, Deputies Peter Burke and Rabbitte, who all collectively launched a new joint national housing strategy for disabled people, as the Senator will be well aware, on 14 January 2022. In that strategy, they set out the vision for the co-operation and collaboration of Departments, State agencies, including local authorities, and others in delivering housing and related supports for disabled people over the next five years.

The areas that are to be addressed to deliver on the vision of the strategy are set out across a number of themes, namely: theme 1, accessible housing and communities; theme 2, inter-agency collaboration and the provision of supports; theme 3, affordability of housing; theme 4, communication and access to information; theme 5; knowledge, capacity and expertise; and theme 6, strategy alignment, which focuses on ensuring that all Government strategies and polices promote the rights of disabled people from a housing perspective, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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 by ensuring 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.

Housing and disability steering groups, which were established by all 31 local authorities under the previous strategy, are reaffirmed under the new strategy as the most effective forum for delivery of the outcomes of the strategy at the local level. The role of the housing and disability steering groups will be strengthened over the lifetime of the national strategy. Housing and disability steering groups are chaired by the directors of services in the local authority and membership includes representation from the Health Service Executive, disabled persons' organisations and approved housing bodies.

The strategy will operate within the framework of Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland 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 those with disabilities. Preparation of the implementation plan for the national housing strategy for disabled people is at an advanced stage and will be completed by year end.