Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 516: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to provide funding to local authorities for the provision of specialised housing units for older people which is both affordable and appropriate to their housing needs. [18590/08]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 536: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to reform the disabled person's grant scheme to improve equity and targeting and to ensure that when work is completed under the scheme, the house will be lifetime adapted for the disabled person. [18541/08]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 537: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to examine ways of assisting those needing to change housing because of care or disability needs. [18542/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 516, 536 and 537 together.

The Government has undertaken a broad range of actions as part of a strategic response to enhance the range of housing supports and services available to the disadvantaged and vulnerable in our society, including people with a disability and older people. These actions range from the introduction of better-targeted financial supports to the development of inter-agency protocols to ensure coordinated service delivery at local level where there is a care dimension in association with meeting housing need.

My Department operates a number of dedicated grant schemes designed to assist people with a disability with their accommodation needs.

The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability Scheme has replaced the old Disabled Persons Grant Scheme. The scheme is administered by local authorities, and assists in the provision/adaptation of accommodation to meet the specific needs of people with a disability. The types of works grant aided under the Scheme are varied and may include the provision of access ramps, grab rails, downstairs toilet facilities, stair-lifts, accessible showers, adaptations to facilitate wheelchair access, extensions etc.

People with a disability may also apply for grant aid under the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme. The Scheme, which is also administered by local authorities, provides grants to cover a basic suite of works to address mobility problems. The Scheme fast tracks grant aid to people on lower incomes, and the types of works grant aided under the Scheme may include grab-rails, access ramps, level access showers and stair-lifts.

These schemes were introduced on 1 November 2007 following a review of the operation of the Disabled Persons Grant Scheme.

To ensure the effective coordination of services provided by housing authorities and the Health Service Executive (HSE), my Department, in conjunction with the HSE, has also developed a protocol to govern arrangements for interagency co-operation in service delivery for people with a disability, who have been identified by the HSE under the Assessment of Need process consistent with Section 8 of the Disability Act 2005. This protocol currently applies in respect of children aged under 5 years and will be rolled out in tandem with the extension of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 to all age groups. A protocol to govern funding arrangements between the HSE and the Housing Authorities in relation to the provision of funding by the HSE for ongoing support costs, where necessary, for social housing projects provided by the voluntary and co-operative housing sector for people with a disability is currently being finalised.

My Department is also responsible for the development of a national housing strategy for people with a disability, as set out in the Government's Housing Policy Statement, Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, and in line with a commitment under Towards 2016. Work on this strategy, which will have particular regard to the needs of adults with significant disabilities and people who experience mental health issues, has commenced, under the remit of a National Advisory Group, and will be progressed with a view to completion in 2009. The range of housing options and related supports available to people with a disability will be examined further in that context.

In relation to the specific accommodation needs of older people, these can be directly met through a wide range of available supports including local authority housing and voluntary and cooperative housing. In addition, a cross-departmental team on sheltered housing, also chaired by my Department, was established last year to develop and oversee policy and to agree, as a priority, local structures and protocols for integrated management and delivery of housing and related care services. The work of this group will ultimately feed into the new National Positive Ageing Strategy, outlined in the Programme for Government.

In addition, the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, also introduced in November 2007, aims to provide targeted support to assist older people in carrying out necessary repairs and improvements to their homes.

In the context of Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities, my Department continues to keep the matter of financial contribution schemes, whereby private housing is part-exchanged for social rented accommodation appropriate for older people, under review.