Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Question 455: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if any engagement has taken place between his Department and the Department of Health in relation to the specific accommodation needs of thalidomide survivors; if he accepts that his Department must be party to any overall approach by the State to meeting its responsibility to the victims of this drug; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29330/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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No specific engagement has taken place between my Department and the Department of Health in relation to the accommodation needs of thalidomide survivors. However, my Department has been working very closely with the Department of Health to address the overall housing needs of people with disabilities and, in particular, in the context of the development of the Government's National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability, 2011 – 2016, which was jointly published by both Departments in October 2011.

The Strategy, which sets out a framework for the delivery of housing for people with disabilities through mainstream housing policy, will be supported by an Implementation Framework which is expected to be published by end June 2012. The Implementation Framework will address, inter alia, the needs of people with physical disabilities, including through proposals in relation to lifetime housing policy, the accessibility needs of wheelchair users and supports for physical adaptations to make housing accessible. The Framework will be subject to a robust monitoring regime and I will ensure that the specific housing and related support needs of thalidomide survivors are kept under review in this regard.