Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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872.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if funding is available to local authorities to construct homes suitable for elderly persons who are living in rural areas in houses which are unsuitable for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35562/24]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Under Housing for All, there is a policy objective to increase and improve housing options for older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence. Housing for All builds on and takes forward the ongoing actions in 'Housing Options for Our Ageing Population' policy statement from 2019, published jointly by my Department and the Department of Health, which provides policy options in support of a range of housing and accommodation alternatives for older people.

A key action of Housing for All is that local authorities developed Housing Delivery Action Plans. The Plans set out details of both social and affordable housing delivery as appropriate over the period 2022 - 2026, including details of the delivery programme to be utilised. The Plans also contain details on the provision of age-friendly housing. It is a matter for each local authority to ensure that it delivers the right mix of housing to meet the housing needs in its area. The Plans have been published on local authority websites.

My Department provides capital funding to local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies to support the delivery of social homes in their area including for older people . Under the Social Housing Investment Programme (SHIP), where local authorities build or acquire, houses/apartment for social housing use, my Department provides 100% of these costs to local authorities.

Under the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) my Department provides up to 100% Capital funding to Approved Housing Bodies to provide new social homes for priority categories to include homeless, disability and age friendly housing.

CALF funding is capital support provided to AHBs by local authorities to facilitate the funding of construction, acquisition or refurbishment of new social housing units. This loan facility can support from 25% to 30% of the eligible capital cost of the housing project, with the housing units provided to local authorities for social housing use under long-term lease arrangements known as Payment and Availability Agreements.