Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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531. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline his proposed changes to the seniors alert scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46047/14]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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532. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to outline the discussions he has had with Pobal and the companies current supplying the seniors alert scheme with regard to proposed changes to the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46048/14]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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533. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has conducted a cost benefit analysis of the proposed changes to the seniors alert scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46049/14]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 531 to 533, inclusive, together.

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.

The maximum grant per beneficiary for equipment is as follows:

- Monitored personal alarms (with pendant) - €250

- Additional pendant/Re-installation - €50

The annual monitoring costs (generally between €60-€80 per annum) are borne by the beneficiary.

As Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, I am responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the Seniors Alert Scheme, which are designed to guide its operation, to ensure optimum outcomes and to ensure that public funds are properly applied. 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.

Monitoring has always been the responsibility of the beneficiary and this is not changing. There are no implications for existing installations in respect of the Pobal tender competition; however, under the new arrangements, Pobal are also providing a facility for beneficiaries to choose from a panel of monitoring companies or to continue with their current monitoring company. In this regard Pobal will also set up a panel of pre-qualified telecare service providers, who provide monitoring services, and this was publicly advertised on eTenders on 6 November 2014. This new approach will reduce the administrative burden for the many hundreds of community and voluntary groups registered under the Scheme and it will enable the groups to concentrate on the main purpose of the Scheme, namely to interact with the elderly in the local community.