Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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326. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social housing bungalows with three bedrooms or more, built or made available to families with a member who has a disability on a local authority basis between 1 January 2016 and 1 June 2020, inclusive in tabular form. [17109/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Section 63(3) of the Local Government Act 2001 provides that, subject to law, a local authority is independent in the performance of its functions of which the provision and allocation of social housing support is one. My Department does not collect data from local authorities on their allocations to individual categories of applicant.

The housing needs of people with disabilities are addressed in the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD) 2011-2016 which was affirmed in Rebuilding Ireland and extended to 2020 to continue to deliver on its aims. In accordance with the vision and strategic aims of the NHSPWD to achieve a coordinated and integrated approach to meeting the housing needs of people with a disability at local level, Housing and Disability Steering Groups (HDSGs) have been established in all local authority areas. These are chaired by the Directors of Housing with membership including the HSE and disability representatives.

Each HDSG has prepared a local Strategic Plan for its own City/County area, to develop specific local strategies to meet the identified and emerging housing needs of people with disabilities in their areas with a view to developing annual targets for the delivery of housing to people with a disability on their housing waiting lists. All Plans are now operational in each local authority and, along with the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA), are key to enabling local authorities to plan more strategically for the housing needs of people with a disability, and, to support the delivery of accommodation using all appropriate housing mechanisms including the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

My Department also provides funding to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of older local authority tenants and people with a disability under the Disabled Persons Grants (DPG) scheme. Allocations under this scheme are being considered by my Department and the funding will be some €15m this year which is similar to the sum available to local authorities in 2019.

The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that there is an appropriate mix of housing design types provided, including universally designed units, accommodation for older people and people with disabilities. The commitments for people with a disability in the Programme for Government will be examined in a review of the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD) which is due to commence in 2020 with a view to putting a new Strategy in place in 2021.