Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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176. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware of the consequences Pobal's senior alert proposal will have on volunteer groups such as Neighbourhood Watch, in that it will sideline these groups which have played a major role in communities; if he will postpone the changes in view of this fact; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13464/15]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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178. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the level of consultation that took place in respect of the proposed changes to the senior alert scheme; if he will provide in detail the number of community groups and voluntary organisations that were consulted; if An Garda Síochána was consulted; if he will confirm the views of the organisations consulted with in respect of the proposed changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13516/15]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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179. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that the tender documents for the revised senior alert scheme will not lead to a lower standard of equipment than used under the previous regime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13518/15]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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180. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of community groups currently registered with his Department in the context of the senior alert scheme that have re-applied as local agents for the revised scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13527/15]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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182. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the rationale for dividing the country into ten regions in the context of the tendering for the revised arrangements under the senior alert scheme; the reason an individual supplier is limited to delivering a service in three regions; the cost implications of this approach for the more isolated rural regions in respect of monitoring fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13537/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 176, 178 to 180, inclusive, and 182 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.

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. Following on from this, a panel of regional suppliers will be contracted to provide the equipment within specific regional areas. The tender was broken down into 10 regional lots to ensure that SMEs were not disadvantaged due to excessively large lot sizes.

As the market for the equipment is well established, it was neither necessary nor appropriate to engage in consultations with the market on the matter prior to the tender process. It should be noted that there are no legal mandatory standards required for the manufacture of personal alarms. Many of the existing units comply with the EU standard; newer manufacturers of equipment or the newer more innovative technologies may meet other quality standards e.g. ISO standard. Under the tender competition, those suppliers that meet the minimum requirement would score the minimum amount of marks available and suppliers that propose products over and above the minimum requirements would be awarded a higher score.

The operational handover between my Department and Pobal is proceeding and should be completed mid-year. In the meantime community and voluntary groups wishing to draw down grant support under the Seniors Alert Scheme should continue to apply to my Department in the usual way.

While I have taken note of the concerns expressed, it should be noted that Pobal will only manage the Scheme on behalf of my Department; the strategic policy direction of the Scheme will remain my Department’s responsibility. My Department will also have an oversight role in relation to Pobal’s delivery of the Scheme, and will ensure that the valuable community support for elderly persons provided by the many hundreds of community and voluntary groups across the country will be maintained.