Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 June 2023
99. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has received any correspondence from his Department in relation to the review being carried out on housing adaptation grants, mobility aid grants and housing for older people grants, given the serious situation whereby local authorities such as Louth County Council have suspended these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29869/23]
View answerMy Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The detailed administration of these schemes including assessment, approval and prioritisation, is the responsibility of local authorities.
My Department advises local authorities annually that, as far as practicable, a percentage of the allocation under the schemes should be ring fenced in respect of any emergency applications which might arise under these schemes during the course of the year. Consequently, all local authorities manage their schemes to ensure access to the grants programme is maintained to the extent possible throughout the year in the highest priority cases and further information in this regard would be available directly from the local authorities. It should be noted that Louth County Council have confirmed that urgent cases involving hospital discharges are still being processed. In addition, my Department recently considered and approved a further Exchequer allocation provision of over €570,000 in 2023 as requested by Louth County Council.
Housing for All commits to reviewing the grants scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds and the grant limits.
I have received the Review report and on foot of the careful consideration, I have asked Department officials to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on the recommendations in the Review report.
