Seanad debates

Wednesday, 9 November 2022

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Housing Schemes

10:30 am

Photo of Mark WallMark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House this morning. We are here to discuss housing aid and housing adaptation grants. I hope there will be some good news on a review. I am dealing with these issues on a daily basis in Kildare and, unfortunately, the grants continue to cause a lot of problems. It has been 13 months since I last brought up this matter and at that stage I was promised a review. The Minister of State's colleague, the Minister of State, was in that day and he mentioned the fact that he was having a lot of issues with these grants in his constituency office. He said that he was going to bring it back to the Department and to all Ministers to discuss the issue.

Today, I am hoping to get an update. As the Minister of State is well aware, the grants make a significant difference to the quality of life for so many older people and those with medical issues who need assistance. We continue to see rising building costs. These rising costs rule many families out of availing of these grants, as the maximum payment continues at €30,000 for the housing adaptation grant.

Over the last week alone, I have come across families with the cheapest quote of €50,000 for a toilet extension and another for €65,000 for a bedroom extension. These families simply cannot afford the balance. The work will not be completed and their loved ones will remain, in these two cases at least, without what could be life-changing extensions that would hugely improve their quality of life.

Of course these are only two examples. There are many others I could give. I have contacted the community welfare officer service, which has helped in some cases. Unfortunately, in a growing number of cases, the response has been that the county council is tasked with providing help with the costs associated with the adaptation of houses on medical grounds and as such it is its responsibility to provide the cost of this and that it would not be in a position to help with the cost of the project as the county council holds the responsibility in this matter. This continues to be the response that I get in trying to bridge that gap for so many families. Many of the families that I am dealing with just cannot afford the room that could make a difference.

The limit for the housing aid grant is €8,000. More and more applicants are applying for window replacements, roofs and heating and they are finding that figure is nowhere near enough to cover the cost of the quotes they receive. In a recent case I had, the quote was almost one year old because that was the length of time the local authority had taken to get around to processing the grant. As a result, the applicants were asked to supply a fresh quote. The price had risen by €3,500 during the year and again, in this case, the applicant simply could not afford that rise and the grant, as the Minister of State knows, is limited to €8,000.

The problems have multiplied since last year. Applicants, many of them older people, are turning to family members and credit unions to try to bridge the gap. Due to their age, many people are not securing these loans. The works allowed under these grants will allow an older population to continue living in their homes, where they want to be. Unfortunately, the grant is means tested on its limits. It is simply not fit for purpose anymore for many of these people. Too many of our older people find themselves unable to access a grant which, at their time of life, is essential to their well-being. I have said on countless occasions this grant is needed for all their work and their contributions to the State over so many years.

The issues are having a knock-on effect. In some of the cases I am dealing with, the applicants must remain in hospital because the family cannot afford the cost of the works to be done to their home.Excellent local authority staff dealing with these grants are inundated with queries from worried applicants, fearing that they will not get the work done on their homes. We need to provide additional resources to local authorities to cover the administration of these grants. Most importantly, we need to change the criteria so these works can be provided. The ever increasing waiting times for some of these grants are a worry, both at the beginning of the process and when payment is due. In replies to parliamentary questions tabled by Labour Party colleagues, we were told that a review would be carried out at the end of last year. I hope the Minister of State has come today with an update on that review.

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