558. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the funding avenues available for elderly persons who require a personal alarm monitor and who have had to discontinue a landline telephone service subsequent to the subsidy being discontinued in the last budget; if he intends to provide extra resources to help persons upgrade to enable them to use a mobile phone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29862/14]

The Seniors Alert Scheme aims to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The Scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department.

The Scheme does not provide for replacement alarm systems.