Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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182. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons with landlines connected to personal panic alarms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45378/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department manages the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages and assists the community's support for older people by means of a community-based grant scheme to improve the security of people over 65 years of age. The Scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department.

The aim of the Seniors Alert Scheme is to support independent living for those over 65 who live alone or who live with a person who is also over 65 years of age and of limited means. A key element of the Scheme is the provision of funding for a socially monitored alarm which supports this independence. My Department has only approved applications for personal monitored alarms connected to a landline. From 2003 to date, in excess of 80,000 beneficiaries have received grants under the scheme.