Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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79. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the engagement he has had on the policy of progressing disability services; and if he has contacted other Ministers regarding the policy. [16174/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department is concerned with the housing of people with disabilities under the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2016-2021, which is a joint Strategy with the Department of Health setting out the Government’s broad framework for the delivery of housing for people with disabilities through mainstream housing policy. 

The Strategy was developed as part of a coherent framework of housing and care for people with disabilities, in conjunction with the Government’s mental health policy as set out in A Vision for Change and the Report of the Working Group on Congregated Settings Time to Move On (2011) which provides for the transitioning of people with intellectual disabilities from institutional setting to community living.  The accommodation of people with disabilities who require social housing supports is provided by the local authorities and approved housing bodies with funding from central government through all of the mechanisms available generally available to other citizens. Health supports are provided by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Implementation of the Strategy is primarily a matter for the Housing Agency and is overseen by an Implementation Group comprising members of the two Departments, the HSE, the Housing Agency, local authorities, approved housing bodies and service providers as well as disability organisations. The Group publishes an annual report which is available on the Department's website at  https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/49dc7-housing-for-people-with-a-disability/ detailing progress in the previous year.

The 2016-2021 Strategy runs to the end of this year and a first consultation phase for the development of a new joint Strategy to 2027 was launched earlier this month, with a research phase running in parallel. A new joint Strategy will be in place by 1 January 2022.