Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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173. To ask the Minister for Health the State supports that exist for those availing of assisted living and or the providers of the assisted living schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32907/22]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland’s population is ageing rapidly, and for the most part, our older population clearly indicates their preference to age in place, in their own homes, for as long as possible. The Department of Health, in conjunction with its partners, is committed to supporting and facilitating these wishes and preferences in the years ahead. A clear demonstration of this is in the investment of €195 million, allocated in Budget 2022, to enable the continued delivery of the Enhanced Community Care Programme as well as the continuation of the €150m allocation made in 2021, which is delivering an unprecedented expansion of home support provision. The Department of Health and the HSE also support a number of complementary Support-Coordination models which will help our older citizens to age in place and reduce the rate of older people transferring to long-term residential care.

The Department of Health is also committed to delivering the vision of the 2019 policy statement on 'Housing Options for Our Ageing Population', jointly published with the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage. The central aim of the policy statement is to increase the housing options available to older people and to facilitate the integration of supports in a more coherent way, particularly between the housing and health sectors, with a view to facilitating people to live at home with dignity and independence for longer.

‘Housing for All - a New Housing Plan for Ireland’ also commits to expanding the housing options available for older persons and sets out specific actions on housing for older people, including a commitment to implementing the 40 actions that were contained in the Housing Options for Our Ageing Population policy statement. A successful housing outcome for older people requires an effective blending of housing and health policy and the cooperation of a range of stakeholders in order to plan productively for the delivery of services to meet the needs of older people.

The Department of Housing has advised my Department that it provides housing supports for older people through capital funding provided directly to local authorities for the provision of older persons specific housing. In addition, by way of the Capital Assistance Scheme and the Capital Advance Leasing Facility, the Department of Housing has advised that it provides funding to Approved Housing Bodies who provide housing for older persons. In the case of the housing for older people provided directly by local authorities the rent paid is a ‘differential rent’ based on the income of the older person.

The Department of Health, alongside the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is currently supporting a housing with supports ‘demonstrator project’ in Inchicore in Dublin. Housing with support is defined as purpose-built, noninstitutional accommodation, where older people have their own front door and where support or care services are available. This is a collaborative, cross-sectoral, and cross-departmental project that recognises the need for a joined-up approach to addressing the critical issue of creating housing choice for our ageing population.

This project will deliver 52 homes and is intended to set a new standard for the future of housing provision for older people and to act as an exemplar for others to follow. The ‘Housing with Support’ model brings together a range of services and supports – principally relating to housing, community, social and care needs. It will enable older persons to live full lives in their own homes within their own community with independence and reduces the need to move into long term residential care. The total CAS funding approved for the project is €22m (subject to conditions) as well as a contribution of €450,000 from the Department of Health towards additional communal facilities. The HSE will provide revenue funding for the provision of supports for the tenants when they are in situ. The project has received Stage 4 approval recently and Dublin City Council expect that it will be commencing on site by mid-year year 2022 with a 2024 completion date.