Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Canney for raising this matter. My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities to support the suite of housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability, which support older and disabled people living in private houses to adapt their home to meet their needs. I agree with Deputy Canney that the scheme is hugely beneficial. The total funding available for the suite of housing adaptation grants has increased to more than €83 million for 2023, continuing the year-on-year increase since 2014 for these extremely important grants. This year's allocation will build on the success of last year where we exceeded the number of home adaptations initially targeted.

The Government's document, Housing for All, commits to reviewing the grants scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. The review was informed by engagement with external stakeholders, including 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. Among the areas the review considered are both income thresholds and grant limits.

My main focus in respect of these grants is to seek to spread their benefits by further increasing the funding that is available at national level, including wider access to funding at local level. On foot of my consideration of the review report, I have asked my officials to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, which they are actively doing, on the recommendations in the review report. I will publish the report, including the agreed grant levels and income thresholds once that engagement has concluded. There is active engagement with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform at the moment. We want to see the deliberations conclude as quickly as possible. We want to get an enhanced scheme that brings significant benefit. Deputy Canney can rest assured that the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, and I are making a great effort to reach a conclusion to our discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform.

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