Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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928. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the amount spent by his Department each year from 2020 to 2025 inclusive on the provision of personal alarms under the senior alert scheme; if these alarms continue to operate on copper broadband technology; if so, the measures his Department intend to take to ensure that these devices and the terms of this scheme are revised to ensure that they are compatible with modern broadband technology, including fibre to the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36993/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Seniors Alert Scheme helps older people to remain in their communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms, enabling them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase, by a registered community-based organisation, of a personal alarm or pendant.

Since the scheme was launched in 2015, almost 150,000 participants have been approved for the alarms, including over 18,200 in 2024.

The current scheme came into effect in September 2021 and, along with the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements, it introduced a new key feature in the additional option of a digital alarm, for use with web-based connections.

Officials at my Department have been aware for some time of concerns in relation to the potential switch-off of copper-based communications networks and its effect on users of the Seniors Alert Scheme.  Accordingly, they have engaged with network providers and Pobal, who administer the scheme on behalf of my Department, in relation to this matter.

It should be noted that there are already a mix of technical solutions currently available through the Seniors Alert Scheme, including GSM and fibre compatible devices. Notwithstanding this, consideration of new and developing technologies that may be incorporated into the scheme is ongoing, with a view to a new iteration of the scheme being launched over the next 12 months.

Regarding funding to the Scheme, the allocation in 2025 for the SAS initiative is €3.2m exchequer funding and €2.1M from the Dormant Accounts Fund. Expenditure for the SAS during 2020 – 2025 is listed below: