Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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138. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of social housing units that were provided to persons with disabilities by local authority in each of the years 2015 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33931/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not collate statistics in relation to the number of persons with disabilities that are accommodated by local authorities as the allocation of social housing is a matter for individual local authorities and, as Minister, I have no function relating thereto.

However, housing statistics supplied to the Housing Agency, as part of its remit to implement the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability, indicate that in 2019 (the first year in which such statistics were requested by the Agency) 1,206 households with a specific need based on disability were accommodated, while in 2020 the number of such households was 1,921.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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139. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of persons with disabilities who are on waiting lists for social housing by local authority as of 18 June 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33932/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department has no information on the current number of households who have applied for housing with a specific need based on one or more members of the household having a disability. However, in 2020 the Summary of Social Housing Assessments recorded that 4,000 households (or 6.5% of the total number of households) had a specific accommodation requirement arising from a disability.

Each local authority has a Housing and Disability Steering Group (HDSG) to plan for and oversee the implementation of the local authority’s five-year Strategic Plan under the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (NHSPWD) 2016-2021. These groups were established in 31 local authorities to enhance the existing ad hoc interagency cooperation and to bring a more co-ordinated approach to the delivery of housing and related services. They are made up of representatives from the local authority, Approved Housing Bodies, the HSE (with a representative from both Disability Services and Mental Health), and sectorial representatives’ groups from the four disability categories.

The HDSGs are also tasked with reviewing the targets in  local authorities’ Strategic Plans to ensure that they are realistic yet challenging and that they result in increased delivery of appropriate/varied types of housing for people with disabilities. They also seek to ensure that while the targets are based on identified need (Housing Waiting List) that they also take cognisance of emerging need.

Since 2016, allocations of homes to people with a disability has ranged from 10-12% of all allocations.

The current NHSPWD is due to conclude this year.  Development of the new Strategy is underway and the first phase of consultation has ended. A further consultation phase will commence in the Autumn and it is intended that a new strategy will be published by the end of 2021.