Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join in complimenting Deputies Willie O'Dea and Frank O'Rourke on bringing forth this legislation. As stated by previous speakers, the Housing (Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability) Bill 2018 is geared towards making the system more efficient. In doing so, we will free up hospital beds. We all know there are people in hospital beds because their homes are not suitably adapted to enable them to return to them, which, as stated by Deputy Niamh Smyth, is the right and proper environment for them. The introduction of a four week timeframe will speed up the process. In my own county, the staff who deal with these applications do an excellent job. Processing can be slow and tedious at times but that is more a fault of the system than of the staff.

They do an excellent job dealing with such grants.

I join my colleagues in welcoming this proposal. I hope it will come to fruition. I firmly believe that if it gets through the system, it will certainly improve matters for people with disabilities.

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