I propose to take Questions Nos. 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 280 and 281 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. Expenditure to date in 2026 under the SAS initiative has been €1.99million.
Since the scheme was launched in 2015, almost 165,318 participants have been approved for the alarms, including over 17,700 in 2025.
My Department has reviewed all aspects of the Seniors Alert Scheme, including the technology and services available, and I hope to launch of a new iteration of the scheme later in 2026.
The new iteration will be administered by Age Friendly Ireland, on behalf of my Department. It is anticipated that this will add significant value to the overall delivery of the Seniors Alert Scheme into the future.
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.
A competitive procurement process for devices to be made available under the new iteration of the Seniors Alert Scheme is currently live and, therefore, it would not be appropriate to comment further on this element of the Scheme. It should be noted that no decision has been made yet regarding this procurement and that the process is being managed by Meath County Council.
As a local government shared service, AFI is subject to standards of governance, oversight and accountability as set out in the relevant regulations and legislation and as overseen by NOAC, LGAS and other statutory bodies.
I can confirm that there is a Service Level Agreement (SLA) is in place between my Department and AFI in relation to the administration of the Seniors Alert Scheme which defines the service to be provided and the level of performance that is expected.
