Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 April 2026
383. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht if he will confirm details regarding a scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27619/26]
View answer385. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht whether the Seniors Alert Scheme administered by Pobal is to continue as a scheme; whether consideration is being given to a successor scheme; the body that will be responsible for any such successor scheme; and the details of any such successor scheme. [27618/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 383 and 385 together.
My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for 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. Since the scheme was launched in 2015, almost 160,000 participants have been approved for the alarms, including over 17,700 in 2025. My Department is currently reviewing all aspects of the Seniors Alert Scheme, including the technology and services available, and I hope to launch a new iteration of the scheme in 2026. The new iteration will be administered Age Friendly Ireland, on behalf of my Department. The current working title of the new iteration is the Age Friendly Assistive Technology Scheme (AFATS).Age Friendly Ireland (AFI) is a local government shared service that is hosted by Meath County Council on behalf of all 31 local authorities. AFI has a coordinator in each local authority area and is well placed to provide the additional wrap around supports that older people may require to assist them to continue living independently in their own homes. It is anticipated that this will add significant value to the overall delivery of the Seniors Alert Scheme into the future. The transition of administration of the scheme from Pobal to AFI will be as seamless as possible. Pobal will continue to process new applications, installations and queries for the coming weeks and months.I wish to thank the community and voluntary organisations involved in the initiative for their continued support and commitment to the Seniors Alert Scheme. These organisations play a vital role in the scheme and I wish to confirm that the role of these groups will remain unchanged as they are a critical and valued support in our communities with essential local knowledge. A new procurement process for devices to be made available under the new iteration of the scheme has begun. I wish to confirm that all devices that have already been provided to users will continue to operate as usual and participant community groups can still refer new participants to Pobal, or engage with them about any queries that they may have on the SAS scheme.
