Written answers

Tuesday, 24 November 2020

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Housing for People with Disabilities

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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364. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the average waiting time nationally for a person with a disability to be allocated social housing. [38561/20]

Photo of Peter BurkePeter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not collate the information on the waiting list requested by the Deputy. However, details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area is provided in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The purpose of the SSHA is to capture the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the country whose social housing need has not yet been met, in order to better inform policy and plan for the delivery of the right types of housing support.

The most recent summary, from June 2019 shows that 68,693 households were qualified for, and in need of, social housing support. Of this number, 4,126 households or 6% were those who had a specific need for housing based on disability. Below is the link to the summary report for 2019 which includes breakdowns by each local authority, across a range of categories. Details on the length of time spent on the record of qualified households (waiting lists) can be found at tables 2.8 and A1.8 of the report.

Report 2019

https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/sha_summary_2019_dec_2019_web_1.pdf.

According to figures collated by the Housing Agency, in 2019 there were 2,389 allocations of social housing to households with disability as a primary basis of need. This represents 12% of total allocations for 2019. This demonstrates that local authorities are making progress in meeting the needs of persons with disabilities on the social housing waiting list.

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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365. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the ratio of housing for persons with disabilities by which local authorities have to build or procure housing for persons with disabilities. [38562/20]

Photo of Peadar TóibínPeadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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366. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding allocated to each local authority and to approved housing bodies to construct social housing for persons with disabilities; and the amount provided to each local authority between 2010 and 2015 and between 2016 and 2020, in tabular form. [38563/20]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 366 together.

My Department operates a broad range of programmes which support the housing needs of people with disabilities. This includes the delivery of new social homes through local authority and Approved Housing Body led build, acquisition and leasing schemes and also the provision of key supports to maintain people with disabilities within their existing homes.

In respect of construction funding, over the period 2016-2019, my Department provided almost €2.1 billion to local authorities to deliver new social homes, including new homes for people with disabilities. I will arrange for my officials to provide the Deputy with this breakdown by local authority. The detailed breakdown of housing funding in 2020 will be finalised at year-end. Prior to 2016 housing expenditure was reported on a programme basis, which encompassed multiple delivery streams.

The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000. Budget 2021 has made available €3.3bn towards the wide range of housing programmes, which will deliver 12,750 new social homes next year, including a record 9,500 new Build homes. These new homes are designed and planned using guidelines, build standards and planning regulations supported by my Department.

The Capital Assistance Scheme also provides for the delivery of homes for persons with disabilities. In addition, my Department also provides a range of specialised grants, including the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability scheme (up to €30,000) and the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme (up to €6,000). These grants assist people with disabilities to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out and to cover a basic suite of works to address the mobility problems of a member of a household.

It is a matter for local authorities to ensure that the number and specific types of dwellings provided in their social housing developments meet local needs. My Department does not hold specific details in relation to the number of individual houses built or procured for persons with disabilities in each local authority during this period. However, this information should be available from the individual local authorities

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