286. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will consider extending eligibility for the personal alarm scheme, which is currently provided free of charge to persons aged 65 years and over, to include persons under the age of 65 who are in receipt of disability-related social welfare payments, including disability allowance and invalidity pension, and who are medically assessed or otherwise deemed to be at risk of falls or living alone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15390/26]

287. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht , if he will consider introducing financial supports or waiving the monitoring and associated costs for personal alarm systems for persons under 65 years of age who are in receipt of disability-related social welfare payments, in light of the current costs of approximately €66 per year for landline monitoring and €144 per year for mobile monitoring, which may act as a barrier to access for vulnerable persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15391/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together.

My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable 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 and one year of monitoring.

The scheme has an allocation of €3.2million in 2026, with additional support from the 2026 Dormant Accounts Fund. As it is a demand led scheme, it is kept under continuous review to ensure funding can be made available to meet the requirements of all qualifying applicants.

The Scheme has been broadened over recent iterations to make it as accessible as possible, including a revision of the living at home requirements. However, while the scheme is under regular review, there are no plans at present to extend it to people under 65. I would advise that the HSE is best placed to advise and assist on matters of disability and/or medical issues, including telehealth solutions.

The monitoring fee, which costs approximately €70 euro, is funded in full for one year under the Seniors Alert Scheme for all new applicants.

Separate to the monitoring fee, all participants must have access to an internet connection to use the scheme. For many participants, connection to the system is via a landline, for which line rental fees are already being paid to the participant's telecoms provider. If there is no landline available, a mobile network service may be used to connect the equipment. In such cases - where there is no landline to connect to and a mobile connection is needed - there is a small charge to the participant for the SIM card which enables the personal alarm to maintain an ongoing connection to the monitoring service. I understand that the current cost of this is approximately €5 to €6 per month.

This information is provided to all participants on the Information Sheet which they should be provided with upon registration for the scheme. The costs of the scheme are kept under consideration on a regular basis in order to provide the most economic and efficient service for as many participants as possible, and to reduce the financial burden for users of the scheme.

The Government is acutely aware of the need to ensure that the necessary supports are available to support older people to continue to live independently . In this regard, the Telephone Support Allowance has been made available through the Department of Social Protection, which provides a weekly payment for those who live alone to assist with telecommunication costs.