Inadequate housing remains a concern for many people with disabilities living in the community. Almost 4,000 people with disabilities are on social housing waiting lists. Meanwhile, Ireland still has almost 3,000 people living in congregated settings and many others inappropriately placed in nursing homes. They are deprived of the basic human right to live in the community with choices that are equal to others.

In July, with the support of my colleagues in the Civic Engagement group, I tabled a motion on the housing needs of people with disabilities. This motion was unanimously passed by Seanad Eireann and it called on the Government to:

• ensure the provision of an annual update from local authorities of the number of social housing units allocated to people with disabilities on the housing waiting list;
• ensure that any housing projects supported by public funding, including Part V housing, provide a percentage of pre-planned and reserved housing units to meet local needs for persons with disabilities;
• ensure that the Social Housing 2020 Strategy is routinely disability proofed; and
• provide funding in 2017 to increase housing supply and to make necessary and timely adaptations to current housing stock.