155. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department's plan to address the housing needs of people with an intellectual disability who are cared for at home by aging parents and family as highlighted by a campaign (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48055/26]

168. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of a campaign (details supplied); his plans to facilitate the housing needs of their members and more broadly people with intellectual disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47943/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 168 together.

My Department jointly published the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People (NHSDP) 2022-2027 and Implementation Plan with the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Disability, and Equality. The Strategy and Implementation Plan may be accessed on my Department’s website at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027/. The Implementation Plan sets out the actions to achieve the vision of the joint Strategy for delivering housing and related supports for disabled people to 2027 operating under the new housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The Plan aims to deliver 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030, including 72,000 social homes and 90,000 affordable housing supports by the end of 2030.

Local authorities play a key role in the planning and provision of social housing in their areas, and decide on the number and types of dwellings to provide, based on identified need including disabled people. Existing social housing targets run to the end of 2026. These targets were developed based on the social housing waiting list for each local authority and data obtained from the Housing Needs Demand Assessment, which profiles future demand for social housing. My Department is currently reviewing data sources and methodology to prepare appropriate individual local authority housing targets to meet local needs and demand out to 2030.

Under Delivering Homes, Building Communities, each local authority will prepare a Housing Delivery Action Plan (HDAP) setting out their planned delivery of social and affordable housing to 2030 in line with their targets. In preparing their HDAP, each local authority will reflect local need to ensure the right mix of homes to respond to need and priorities, including housing for disabled people for whom targets for the period 2027-2030 will be agreed with each local authority. It is expected that new HDAPs will be in place by Q4 2026.

All local authorities have Housing and Disability Steering Groups (HDSGs) whose role is to put in place strategic plans for housing for disabled people and to monitor activity under these plans. The HDSGs are representative of disabled people as well as the Health Services Executive, the local authority and Approved Housing Bodies and are a key driver of the provision of housing for disabled people at local level. These steering groups are central to the delivery of the strategy at a local level and provide an effective forum for appropriate housing and services planning.

HDSGs facilitate integrated, aligned and timely responses to the housing needs of disabled people through an interagency collaboration framework to drive progress at the local level. Membership of the HDSGs includes local authority Director of Housing Services, HSE, Disabled Persons Organisations, organisations for disabled people including service providers (including Sections 38/39 of the Health Act 2004 organisations), and Approved Housing Body sector (including Sections 38/39 of the Health Act 2004 organisations).

Separately, my Department published a Design Manual for Quality Housing (the Design Manual) which is available on my Department’s website at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b3e02-design-manual-for-quality-housing/. The Design Manual contains unit types design approach for Group Homes or Community Dwellings usually used in the provision of housing for people with intellectual disability.

My Department, in conjunction with local authorities and AHBs, continues to work and engage with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE within the framework of the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People. This is to ensure the coordinated delivery of independent living accommodation to meet the needs of disabled people, aligned in conjunction with the delivery of the disability services supports for independent living for disabled people which is the responsibility of the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE.