Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, for coming to the House to discuss this important issue. For the past number of years I have been working closely on applications for grants, mainly with older people and people with disabilities or illness. It has been a beneficial grant, of which people can avail, to replace a bath with a shower, to put in a wet room, central heating, or other amenities covered under the scheme. I was in a house recently that still does not have a bathroom. It has an outside toilet. People are still living in poor conditions. I looked at the amounts of money available for the grant, and then the rising costs. Listening to builders and to people who have applied for the grant, it is clear that costs are rising all of the time. We realise the Government has been good in supporting businesses and people with rising costs, but it is time to carry out a review of these grants. The amount of money people receive only goes part of the way to covering some of the supports that need to be put in place. I ask the Minister if there are any plans within the Department to carry out a review in light of the rising costs. I look forward to his response.