Government could convert tax defaulters’ property into homes for disabled

Tax defaulters could soon be allowed to settle their dues by giving up property to the government, which will then use it as social housing for disabled people.

It is a financial solution that the government has come up with for a project that is estimated to cost €40 million. It is expected to take the form of a private-public partnership, with 50% of the money coming from the private sector and the other half from the government.

The project will include a disability inclusion centre at the heart of a residential community that will cater for 100 disabled people, 15 disabled people on an emergency respite basis, and 85 disabled people who attend the day centre.

It will also include 25 community homes that will cater for 25 disabled people, and five regional inclusion cluster houses that will consist of four apartments per block accommodating four disabled people per apartment. Calls for expressions of interest have already been issued for some cluster housing units and small community homes.

A ‘transition hotel’ for 20 disabled people will also be set up to screen and provide rehabilitation training to disabled people before they are transferred to residential homes.

In total, this new project will provide permanent housing for 205 disabled people.

“Apart from promoting human rights for the disadvantaged, [the project] will save the public purse more expensive institutional care, as residential services can be run jointly with private, NGO and volunteer services,” a government statement said.

According to the 2012 National Census, 22,000 disabled people and 4,500 intellectually challenged people require full- or part-time residential care.

“Often, disabled adults live with their parents until their family can’t take care of them,” the government said. “When their parents pass away, they lose their life support and often have to be accommodated in public residential old peoples’ homes which are unsustainable and unequipped to attend to their care needs.

“It is government policy to empower people with a disability who reach adulthood to live independently in safe, secure and comfortable accommodation with support staff to help as necessary, and as close as possible to the rest of society.”