Seanad debates
Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Grant Payments
10:30 am
Mark Wall (Labour)
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I welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this important matter.
We are here again to discuss the ongoing issues with housing aid and housing adaptation grants, and the report that is due into the review of same. Not a day goes by that I do not get calls or queries from the good people of Kildare and Laois in respect of these grants. The problems have not gone away since I raised this matter last November. It is safe to say the problem has increased for many public representatives dealing with these grants. Most importantly, the problem has also increased for those seeking to use these grants to improve their lives. The last time I raised this with the Minister of State he informed me that he was also having problems in his office with these grants.
To put it on the record again, these grants can, have and will make a difference to the lives of those who apply and who have applied and who are successful. As the Minister of State will be aware, the grant makes a significant difference to the quality of life of so many older people and to those with medical issues who need assistance. Unfortunately, many applicants grants are on hold because of the rising building costs and the cost of materials. The maximum payout of €30,000 on the housing adaptation grant does not nearly cover the cost of adapting a house for a bathroom, where quotes are coming in at around €40,000 to €50,000. Nor does it cover the cost of an extra downstairs bedroom, where some of the quotes I have seen are up to €60,000 and more. We continue to see rising building costs and these rising costs rule many families out of availing of these grants as the maximum payment continues to be €30,000, as I have said. The reality for those applying is that the work will not be completed and their loved ones will remain without what could be life-changing extensions that would improve greatly their quality of life and that of their families. Many others have turned to their credit unions where they could, with others trying desperately to access money from relatives and friends.
The limit for the housing aid grant is €8,000 and the reality on this worthwhile grant is that more and more applicants are applying for window replacements, roofs and heating, and they are finding that the figure is nowhere near enough to cover the quotes they receive. Prices for work in this area are closer to €12,000 rather than the €8,000 that the grant may offer. These issues are having a knock-on effect. In some of the cases I have dealt with, the applicants must remain in hospital because the family simply cannot afford the cost of the works done to their home. In some other cases, the applicants must come home and convert an unsuitable downstairs room into a temporary bedroom and toilet.
I want to put on record, as I have done previously, my thanks to the excellent local authority staff dealing with these grants. They continue to be inundated with queries from worried applicants, fearing they will not get the work done on their homes. We need to provide additional resources to the local authorities to cover the administration of these grants. Most importantly, we need to change the criteria so these works can be completed. When I raised this important issue with the Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage in April, he acknowledged that he had the report and that the Department was working on it. Upon further questioning, he confirmed that he would have an update in a couple of months. A couple of months later we are here and I hope the Minister of State brings some good news for the sake of so many and that an updated grant, which I have no doubt will change the lives of so many, will be forthcoming from the Government.
Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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Before I call on the Minister of State I would like to welcome the pupils of Carrabane National School in Galway. They are very welcome and I hope they enjoy their day in the Seanad. We are currently taking Commencement matters. Senators submit various topics for debate and four are chosen. The relevant Minister or Minister of State comes in and responds. The Senator raising the matter has a four-minute slot in which to do so. In this case, it is Senator Wall. The Senator has set out his issue. The Minister of State will now have four minutes for his response. After that, there will be two one-minute slots for the Senator and the Minister of State, respectively. Commencement matters are taken every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We are in the process of a dealing with these matters, hence there are not too many people here. However, the Oireachtas is a busy place. There is a great deal of activity and many committee meetings are ongoing in different rooms within the Houses. Our guests are welcome. I hope they enjoy their day.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and for allowing me the opportunity to provide an update on this matter. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides funding to local authorities 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. These grants are available to people with an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability, or to older people who experience mobility issues or require essential repairs to their homes so that they can continue to live independently at home.
The grants are 80% funded by the Department, together with a 20% matching contribution from the resources of the relevant local authority. The schemes are means-tested and operate on a sliding scale, with the highest percentage grants available to those with the lowest incomes and vice versa. The detailed administration of these schemes, including assessment, approval, prioritisation and apportionment between the three schemes is the responsibility of local authorities. In 2022, almost €86 million in funding was made available to facilitate the payment of over 12,000 grants. Local authorities were recently informed of their 2023 allocations, with each local authority receiving an increase on the 2022 allocation, continuing the year-on-year increases since 2014.
Housing for All contains a commitment to the effect that a review of the range of housing grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs both for our aging population and people with a disability will be undertaken. A report on the review of the housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability has been prepared by the Department for the consideration of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O’Brien. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds and the grant limits. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, such as the Department of Health, the HSE, the Disability Federation of Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. Written submissions were also invited and considered as part of this process. The Minister is acutely aware of the importance of the review work, particularly given that it is almost ten years since these important grant schemes have been given this detailed consideration back in 2014. On foot of the careful consideration of the review report, the Minister has asked Department officials to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the recommendations in the review report.
Mark Wall (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I want to put on record my thanks to the Government for the increase in the grant. The Minister of State indicated that the grants have increased year on year since 2014, which is welcome for all `the people I deal with on a daily basis. However, again today we are not hearing what is happening. I have people who are living in their sitting rooms and using commodes. They cannot access proper facilities for themselves and their quality of life is being affected.It is simply not good enough that we are saying again, although it was promised a couple of months ago, that we do not have word on the review. It seems to be going from one Department to another. I know it is not the Minister of State's Department but I plead with him today to bring this back to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and to ask him to quickly publish this report for the sake of so many people I am dealing with. It is not just me; I am sure the Acting Chairperson and local representatives throughout the country are coming across this situation day in, day out, where people are not getting the quality of life these grants should be providing, and have provided in the past, simply because building costs have risen so much. I ask the Minister of State to bring that back to the Minister. I thank him for agreeing to discuss this matter this morning.
Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I have listened very carefully to the points made by the Senator. The funding available for these grants in 2023 has been increased by almost €2 million on the original 2022 provision bringing it to a total of €83 million. Given the real benefits of these schemes to people who rely on them to continue living their lives independently in their own homes, our objective is to continue to provide further increases in funding every year as part of the Estimates process. Further increases will be in line with commitments made under the Housing for All plan and on foot of the engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the recommendations on the review report.
I will clarify something I learned when I got the initial answer. It is also possible for local authorities to apply for additional funding during the course of the year, and some local authorities have done that. That is a piece of information that may be useful. However, I will certainly bring the points made by the Senator back to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.