Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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571. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if grants are available for the provision of house alarms for those over 65 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4116/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am informed that the Department of Rural and Community Development funds the Senior Alert Scheme and Pobal administer this on behalf of that Department. This provides funding for a personal monitored alarm, connected to a contact centre to enable older persons of 65 or older and of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind.

Any decision to extend that scheme to house alarms, rather than personal alarms, would be a matter for the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

The Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) is a weekly payment of €2.50, which may assist people who qualify under the Senior Alert Scheme, among others. Customers of my department who are in receipt of a qualifying payment and who are also in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance automatically qualify for the TSA. Approximately 127,000 customers are in receipt of the TSA payment. The estimated full year cost of the scheme is over €16 million. The primary objective of the TSA is to allow the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, access to personal alarms or phones for security. However, there are no criteria attached to the payment which require the purchase of an alarm or phone of any description.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.