Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is the Minister of State aware of the difficulties that are facing such families? I am hoping that in her reply, she will outline what she will do about this matter. These grants can have the potential to transform people's lives, but there is a long wait involved. In some cases in my constituency, people can wait for up to three years for such grants. I am aware that some local authorities have suspended these grants, so some counties are hit harder than others.

I wish to outline two cases in my constituency. One concerns Daniel who lives in Rossfield in Tallaght. He is on dialysis and his life revolves around getting his dialysis treatment. He needs a sterile room and downstairs toilet. There is a chair-lift in the house but he often does not make it.

It would transform the life of this man and that of his wife, Pauline, and their children if he could have his dialysis treatment in his own home. Despite that three years have passed his application for an extension has still not be approved.

I know of another woman in the area called Tracey, who is 20 stone in weight and has multiple cancers in respect of which she is being treated with steroids. This is affecting her bones and has led to the collapse of a couple of vertebrae in her back and her being unable to exercise, hence the weight gain. The difficulty Tracey has is that the stair lift in her home is not strong enough to support her weight, which means she has difficulty washing or using the toilet. Tracey relies on her children and elderly father to care for her and has been also waiting three years for a life-changing house adaptation.

How many families are in a similar situation? I have given two examples, which I am sure are repeated across the country.

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