Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am giving this response on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability scheme assists those in private houses to make their accommodation more suited to their needs. The overall scheme encompasses the three grants the Senator mentioned, namely: the housing adaptation grant for people with disabilities; the mobility aids grant; and the housing aid for older people grant. As the Senator will know, the scheme is means tested and operates on a sliding scale, with the highest percentage grants available to those with the lowest incomes and vice versa. The detailed administration of the scheme, including assessment, approval, prioritisation and apportionment, is the responsibility of local authorities.

In 2022, nearly €86 million in funding was made available to facilitate the payment of more than 12,000 individual grants. Local authorities were recently informed of their allocations for 2023 under this scheme, with each local authority receiving an increase on its 2022 allocation.

Housing for All contains a commitment to a review being undertaken in respect of the range of housing grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs for our ageing population and those with disabilities. A report on this review has been prepared by the Department. My colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Darragh O’Brien, will give careful consideration to the report. A decision on the recommendations in the report will be made as soon as possible.

The Department also provides funding to local authorities under the disabled persons grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with disabilities or those in overcrowded situations.The total expenditure on this scheme was more than €17 million in 2022, facilitating more than 1,500 essential adaptations. The Department continues to support local authorities in their work in this area and funding allocations under the 2023 programme will be announced shortly.

The suite of grants available for adaptation works for both private and social housing is kept under constant review and funding allocated under the schemes is managed to ensure it is efficiently and effectively used to the greatest effect possible. As I said, the funding available for the grants is under active consideration as part of the review report.

I have listened to what the Senator has said about the fact these are vulnerable cohorts of people and that the grants do not go as far as they used to because of inflation and other factors. The Senator also has concerns around having a block grant before the summer recess. It is all about getting best value for money. I will take those comments back to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.