Dáil debates
Thursday, 6 July 2023
Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions
Housing Schemes
9:20 am
Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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4. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when he will review and publish the income thresholds and the level of grants payable under the housing aid for older people, housing adaptation grants and mobility grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33199/23]
Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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Could we get a sense of when we might see the review that is ongoing in regard to housing aid for older people - the housing adaptation grants and the mobility grants for people who deserve them? It is a great scheme. While I am aware the review is ongoing, I would like to know when it will be published because I have come across a lot of people who are struggling with the costs.
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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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.
Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I welcome the fact that the review has been concluded and that it is with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. I hope that the costs will get sorted out. The one issue I did not hear the Minister of State talk about is housing aid for older people. Is that part of the review? The level of the grant needs to increase because of construction inflation, and the income thresholds also need to be increased.
In addition, a little bit of flexibility is required for the housing adaptation grants because of the nature of the individual cases of people with disabilities. We need to provide flexibility to local authorities to ensure that the scheme is effective for the individuals who need the money. I compliment Galway County Council, where I have had experience of the staff members who are working on these schemes, including the engineers who go out to check them. They deserve great credit. The demand is increasing and it is important that we recognise that as well.
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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To give reassurance, we are looking at all grants, including housing adaptation for older people, the mobility aids grant and the disabled persons grants.
The review looked in the round at both income thresholds and the level of grants. They are all included in the review and the submissions made to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Active discussions are now taking place between the respective officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. This is very much a priority for the Department. All areas are being considered. An active body of work is under way and discussions and negotiations are taking place with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform at the moment. We hope to bring them to a conclusion as quickly as possible. Thereafter, along with announcing what has been agreed, we will publish the report.
Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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It is all very positive. I know it takes time to get the money in place. I am sure they will not be found wanting, but I encourage the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, and the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, to make sure that we try to get this done as speedily as possible.
I have come across a leaking roof on a house where a woman in her 80s lives. The cost to repair it is €27,000 and the maximum grant she can get at the moment is €8,000, so it is totally unaffordable for her even with the grant. It is important that we look at that as a matter of urgency. I encourage the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to also engage speedily in the process to make sure that this scheme, which is a very good one, is enhanced. I thank the Minister of State, as I know he is committed to it.
It is important that we keep the speed up and the pressure on so we end up with a scheme that is further enhanced and can make people live safely in their own homes for as long as possible, as set out in Sláintecare.
9:30 am
Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I absolutely concur. We see on the ground, even in my role as a Deputy in Limerick city, the impact and benefit it has. I want to acknowledge that there is a significant body of work under way by our officials in the Department. I acknowledge the work of the officials in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform as well. At this moment in time, it is up to date in that discussions are now taking place. The Deputy will be aware, as a former Minister of State, of the process. We are now at the stage of the process where we have a firm proposal from our Department, which is being costed, and we are doing rigorous due diligence. It is now under active discussion between our respective officials. Our clear intention here is to deal with the cases the Deputy mentioned, across the range of the mobility aid grant as I referenced earlier, the housing adaptation for the elderly grant and the disabled person's grant. They are hugely significant on the ground. We hope to bring that to a firm conclusion as quickly as possible.