Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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572. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his future plans for the seniors alert scheme; if his Department plans to continue administering the scheme; if the value of the grant per alarm will be maintained into the future; the overall budget for 2015 compared to 2012, 2013 and 2014; the number of units provided under the scheme nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4645/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, 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.

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.

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

Pobal’s management and administrative services for the Scheme included an invitation to tender for the supply and installation of personal monitored alarms, which was publicly advertised on eTenders on 20 October 2014. The tender process, which is being led by Pobal, is almost complete and following this 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, who provide an excellent service for the elderly. It will enable the groups to concentrate on the main purpose of the Scheme, namely to support and interact with the elderly in the local community.

The funding allocated for the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2015 is €2.35m. The following table outlines the expenditure for this scheme and the overall number of beneficiaries from 2012 to 2014.