Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Regional Group for the opportunity to discuss the importance of the housing aid for older persons grant, the mobility aid grant, and the housing adaptation grant for people with disabilities. The Social Democrats fully support the motion. Last week, the Irish Examinerreported on the case of a family with a child with spina bifida who had to raise €50,000 and get a credit union loan of €30,000 to pay for essential renovations to their home despite availing of the housing adaptation grant scheme. This case, highlighted by the Jack and Jill Foundation, illustrates the many issues with the adaptation grant. Crucially, it highlights how the scheme does not meet the needs of families and children with significant disabilities. The income threshold is low, which leaves many middle-income families with little or no support. It also calls for the application process and the granting of funds to be made much easier and more accessible for parent carers. This case and the insights from the Jack and Jill Foundation are not isolated.

In theory, the housing aid for older persons and the housing adaptation grant are exactly the type of support needed to help people to live in their own homes. However, in practice, the schemes need more funding, the grants are inadequate for the works required, the system is too bureaucratic and there are major delays for local authority housing. Speaking at the Joint Committee on Disability Matters, representatives of Disabled Women Ireland outlined the considerable issues with the current adaptation grant. They described the horrific and restrictive application process and the fact that the grants are generally drawn down after the capital outlay and stated:

Even if people fulfil the criteria, this system disadvantages the people who need it the most and who do not have any money or any savings to pay upfront for the accessibility that they need. If a person does qualify, he or she is limited by what he or she can afford right that minute and the person is not able to get what is needed, because of the draw-down afterwards system.

The current system, in effect, excludes and disempowers disabled people and others. It needs to be reformed. When someone qualifies, the money should be made available upfront. Alone, which supports more than 24,000 older people, has pointed out that the current annual funding of the adaptation grant would be required to assist just older people. It also points out that while the grant covers 95% of the work, many elderly people on low incomes find it extreme difficult to even pay the 5%, with the extensive work that is required. Representatives of the Irish Thalidomide Association have highlighted how the people who need support can often feel disregarded and voiceless in the system. Applications and decisions need to respect lived experience and recognise that disabled people and others are the experts in what they require.

There are issues where assessments are made on a household basis and do not consider individuals' autonomy. The Joint Committee on Disability Matters recommended that a mechanism must be included in the housing adaptation grant process where individuals choosing to live with families can access the grant as an individual without the rest of the household's income being included as part of the means test. This will support individuals to live independent lives in housing that is appropriate to their needs. A lack of access to adaptation grants also contributes to disabled people being unable to access appropriate housing. People must wait for lengthy periods and either live in unsuitable accommodation, remain in a hospital or go into a nursing home while waiting for housing adaptation. Any measure that can help disabled people needs to be accelerated. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has noted that people with disabilities are more than 1.6 times more likely to live in poor conditions and they are over-represented in the homeless population, with more than one in four homeless people being disabled.

The Ombudsman also highlighted that his office had received complaints about access to the housing adaption grants available from local authorities and that the lack of proper support is contributing to keeping people in congregated settings, especially the large number of individuals under 65 years of age who are still in nursing homes because the State is not providing suitable housing.

This also highlights the importance of universal design. The Joint Committee on Disability Matters strongly advocates that the principles of universal design are vital to meaningfully remove barriers and achieve inclusion. This approach ensures that products, services and environments are made accessible from the planning stage. When conducted in conjunction with persons with disabilities and others affected, homes and buildings can be future-proofed by using designs to meet current and potential needs. Current building regulations do not require full accessibility. This is not only exclusion; it is short-sighted. The same accessible feature for mobility aids also helps young families with buggies. All new housing should be designed with adaptivity in mind. These are proactive measures that can be taken now to alleviate the problems individuals are experiencing.

Ultimately, these grants relate to the additional cost of having a disability. The Department of Social Protection's report, The Cost of Disability in Ireland, revealed that people with disabilities face extra costs of up to €12,300 annually on transport, fuel, equipment, aids, medical expenses, etc. We all know it is far more than that in many cases. Unless these and other supports are tailored to adequately recognise these costs, inequalities will continue and even get worse. Ireland has one of the highest rates of poverty and social exclusion for people with disabilities in the EU.

Accessible homes would keep people in their communities and enable others to move to independent living. Better mobility aid grants can help people leave the house, socialise and gain employment. These schemes are some of the most basic supports necessary to enable many different groups to live with dignity and to participate in society. It is their right. The Government must face up to its responsibility.

This issue cuts across all of society, from older people to families with children with disabilities, people with disabilities who are living independently and Thalidomide survivors. In principle, it is exactly the type of support individuals and families need to facilitate independent living and keeping people in their homes. In practice, however, the system is complex, insufficient and exclusionary. Older people, those with disabilities and children with complex needs all have the right to appropriate supports. Schemes have to be designed properly. There needs to be sufficient discretion to allow people make the best choices for themselves and their families, the application process needs to be radically overhauled and applications need to be processed so much quicker.

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