Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this important matter.

We are here again to discuss the ongoing issues with housing aid and housing adaptation grants, and the report that is due into the review of same. Not a day goes by that I do not get calls or queries from the good people of Kildare and Laois in respect of these grants. The problems have not gone away since I raised this matter last November. It is safe to say the problem has increased for many public representatives dealing with these grants. Most importantly, the problem has also increased for those seeking to use these grants to improve their lives. The last time I raised this with the Minister of State he informed me that he was also having problems in his office with these grants.

To put it on the record again, these grants can, have and will make a difference to the lives of those who apply and who have applied and who are successful. As the Minister of State will be aware, the grant makes a significant difference to the quality of life of so many older people and to those with medical issues who need assistance. Unfortunately, many applicants grants are on hold because of the rising building costs and the cost of materials. The maximum payout of €30,000 on the housing adaptation grant does not nearly cover the cost of adapting a house for a bathroom, where quotes are coming in at around €40,000 to €50,000. Nor does it cover the cost of an extra downstairs bedroom, where some of the quotes I have seen are up to €60,000 and more. We continue to see rising building costs and these rising costs rule many families out of availing of these grants as the maximum payment continues to be €30,000, as I have said. The reality for those applying is that the work will not be completed and their loved ones will remain without what could be life-changing extensions that would improve greatly their quality of life and that of their families. Many others have turned to their credit unions where they could, with others trying desperately to access money from relatives and friends.

The limit for the housing aid grant is €8,000 and the reality on this worthwhile grant is that more and more applicants are applying for window replacements, roofs and heating, and they are finding that the figure is nowhere near enough to cover the quotes they receive. Prices for work in this area are closer to €12,000 rather than the €8,000 that the grant may offer. These issues are having a knock-on effect. In some of the cases I have dealt with, the applicants must remain in hospital because the family simply cannot afford the cost of the works done to their home. In some other cases, the applicants must come home and convert an unsuitable downstairs room into a temporary bedroom and toilet.

I want to put on record, as I have done previously, my thanks to the excellent local authority staff dealing with these grants. They continue to be inundated with queries from worried applicants, fearing they will not get the work done on their homes. We need to provide additional resources to the local authorities to cover the administration of these grants. Most importantly, we need to change the criteria so these works can be completed. When I raised this important issue with the Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O'Donnell, at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage in April, he acknowledged that he had the report and that the Department was working on it. Upon further questioning, he confirmed that he would have an update in a couple of months. A couple of months later we are here and I hope the Minister of State brings some good news for the sake of so many and that an updated grant, which I have no doubt will change the lives of so many, will be forthcoming from the Government.