Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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575. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to tender for the seniors alert scheme and the parameters being considered as part of this tender as to whether it will be for a three-year or five-year period; if it will be one national tender or if it will be done on a regional basis; the requirement to deal with persons who already have alarms fitted under the existing scheme; if they will be included; if this will be open to all organisations to apply even if they are commercial organisations or organisations with a revenue charity reference number; if a regulatory impact assessment has been carried out on this process; the reason Pobal was selected to carry out this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40192/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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My Department manages the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department.

My Department undertook to consider new approaches to the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2014 and from this it was recommended that the scheme be managed by Pobal with effect from 1 January 2015, given that organisation’s significant experience delivering programmes on behalf of Government.

Pobal will provide management and administrative services for the Seniors Alert Scheme. This will include a national tender for the supply and installation of personal monitored alarms, which was publicly advertised on eTenders on 20 October 2014. A panel of regional suppliers will be contracted to provide the equipment within specific regional areas. This will reduce the administrative burden for over 500 local community and voluntary groups registered under the Scheme and it will enable the groups to focus their efforts on supporting vulnerable older people in their communities.

Pobal will also set up a panel of pre-qualified tele-care service providers, who provide monitoring services. Use of this panel by beneficiaries will be on a voluntary basis only and beneficiaries will be able to exercise their choice of service provider outside of the panel.