Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome the additional funding to which the Minister of State referred. It is clear that small but essential adaptations, such as the installation of ramps and hand-rails and the widening of doorways, have been placed on a lower priority list by Dublin City Council. In a number of cases, people are refusing to allow relatives to leave rehabilitation care or hospitals because they cannot have a ramp installed or a doorway widened to enable them to have access their homes. While larger works to adapt homes will not be done in the current economic climate, people should at least be able to access their homes. Rather than having adaptations carried out, people are being told they will be placed on a transfer list and may secure a place elsewhere when one becomes available. This pulls people out of their communities and away from their families and neighbours who have helped and stood by them. This approach is to be deplored. We must not go down that road. It should be possible to look after people leaving hospital - for example, those who are on dialysis or who are grossly overweight. The current position is unacceptable.

Dublin City Council has indicated it has spent all the funding available for adaptation grants in 2013, primarily on priority cases. The council already has another list prepared for next year. It is not possible that this list of works will be completed, given the large number of priority cases. I ask the Minister of State to press local authorities to carry out minor works that would allow people to leave hospital, access their homes and enjoy some quality of life.

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