Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the past 18 months, I have dealt with cases involving local authority housing tenants who have a family member with a severe physical and intellectual disability and have been waiting for adaptation works to be done to their homes. In one case, a family has been waiting more than seven and a half years for this work to be done. In two cases, the parents involved are providing full-time care to children with severe physical and intellectual disabilities. If the children were being cared for in an appropriate setting, it would cost the State approximately €3,500 per week to meet the needs of each child. I ask that the Minister come before the House to discuss the inadequate funding provided to local authorities for housing adaptation grants.

A significant amount of funding is being provided to local authorities to provide grants to enable private home owners to carry out adaptation works. While these grants are also necessary, the amount provided for local authority houses is small. I ask that local authorities be allowed to exercise discretion in 2016 with regard to funding for housing adaptation grants. This would enable them to provide grants for priority cases in local authority housing. It is unacceptable that many families in Cork city have been waiting for between seven and eight years for adaptation works to be done, especially where the parents are providing full-time care and going far beyond what is required to care for a child. We are not providing the support these families need. Co-ordination is required between the health service, the local authority and the relevant Departments to ensure these parents are given the support they require. I ask that the Minister come before the House to discuss this extremely important issue for those who have been waiting such a long time.