1724. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures being taken by his Department, local authorities and approved housing bodies to ensure adequate supported housing options are available for young adults with intellectual disabilities in County Kerry as they transition to adult services (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60362/26]

1745. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the progress that has been made to date in relation to a campaign in Kerry (details supplied) in relation to the provision of community based homes for their sons and daughters with an intellectual disability. [59766/26]

1751. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on a report (details supplied); the measures being taken to address the issues raised; the engagement he has had with the ‘before we die’ campaign; if he is satisfied he is responding adequately to their demands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59885/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1724, 1745 and 1751 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: 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.

In addition, the Department of Children, Disability and Equality published the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 which sets out a whole-of-government approach to disability.

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. 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.

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: 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.

Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority administrative area is provided in the annual Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). Details of households qualified for social housing support with a main need for social housing support being a disability are included in the report and broken down per local authority. The SSHA 2025 is available on my Department's website, along with all summaries since 2011, at www.gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/.

Social housing allocations for disabled people have increased steadily over the last three years from 2022 to 2024. The number of social housing allocations for disabled people in 2022 was 1,917 tenancies, in 2023 it was 2,297, rising to 2,924 in 2024 which represents some 19% of overall housing allocations in 2024.

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 and the National Human Right Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. 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.

I recently met with representatives from Before We Die to listen to their views and discuss the work that is ongoing to support independent living for disabled people particularly those with an intellectual disability.