Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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The motion I have submitted relates to funding from the Department to the local authority to enable it to adapt local authority houses to accommodate people with physical or intellectual disabilities. I wish to raise one case, in particular. A family with a daughter who has physical and intellectual disabilities applied to Cork City Council to have their house adapted because the child had to be lifted out of bed every morning. They must look after her needs. She has to be washed and tube-fed. That is the extent of care they must provide for their daughter. In July 2008 they received a letter from Cork City Council confirming that the house needed to be adapted and that the work would be done. In November 2008 they were presented with a set of plans, detailing what was required. To this date no work of any description has been carried out. The child is now an adult; she is 19 years of age.

My understanding is that last year Cork City Council received €361,000 to carry out works of this nature. I do not know where this money was used, but I do know that this family did not have alterations made to their house last year. This is outrageous. Here is a family who are looking after someone with major disabilities and they are not looking for a huge amount. They are just looking for a little support and encouragement in order that they can provide the level of care needed. If their daughter was being cared for full time in a State facility, it would be costing the taxpayer €2,000 a week, but the parents do not want this. They want to look after her at home, but we are not giving them the support they require.

I understand there are several other families in a similar position in Cork city and I am sure there are others around the country. It is time we looked at this issue in respect of the funding from central government, how that funding is used at local level and allocating it to deal with priority cases. That is why I am raising the issue today.

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. He will understand that I cannot speak about specific cases, but I am disappointed to hear about the circumstances of the case he has highlighted because under the social housing investment programme, my Department allocates funding to support local authorities in undertaking adaptations and extensions to their social housing stock to meet the needs of tenants with a disability or address serious overcrowding issues. This is over and above the funding my Department provides for local authorities under the separate schemes of grants for older people and people with a disability, under which private homeowners can avail of grant assistance towards the cost of adaptations. The support from my Department for local authorities in undertaking adaptations for social housing tenants meets 90% of the cost, with local authorities providing the remaining 10%.

These adaptations, or the provision of extensions, are important to meet the needs of local authority tenants with a disability who may require chair lifts or the installation of a downstairs bedroom or bathroom. Extensions or adaptations are only considered where an alternative property is not available through a casual vacancy in the locality. For example, local authorities can meet particular needs by reserving a four-bedroom house for a larger family. However, in many cases, there may be no option but to adapt or extend an existing dwelling.The implementation of works under these programmes is a matter for the local authorities. It is for them to determine, in the first instance, if the works are needed to make the accommodation more suitable for the tenant, as well as to prioritise the use of available resources for who need them most.

In recent years a concerted effort has been made to protect expenditure on extensions and adaptations to local authority homes. In 2012 funding nationally in this area was €8.7 million; it was €6 million in 2013 but €8 million in 2014. The Department has written to each local authority asking for its proposals under this scheme for 2015. On receipt of this information from all local authorities, funding will be allocated to each one. I am keen that this year we allocate funding earlier in the calendar year to allow local authorities to get work on adaptations and extensions under way, as well as to allow more flexibility in drawing down the funding from the Department. I hope to ensure funding for these supports for local authorities in 2015 is maintained at the same level as last year. If the opportunity arises to allocate more over the year, I will examine the matter.

Increasing funding in one area of social housing spend, however, usually impacts on the spend in other important areas, whether it be new social housing provision, important regeneration programmes or adaptations and improvements for private householders. Notwithstanding these competing pressures, the Government will continue to channel this important funding to local authorities. Making the allocations earlier in the year will mean that local authorities will be able to deliver these supports to their tenants in a timely manner and, I hope, improve their quality of life.

Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. I accept how funding is allocated. My issue is with who is responsible for delivering. Ten days ago I spent an hour on the telephone, going from one person to another within the city council. I went from the official who had inspected the house to the official in charge of finance to the architects' department and back to finance. No one person is in charge of a file. Local authorities have disability officers for staff with disabilities. Why can we not have one person allocated the job in a local authority of ensuring an application does not fall between different stools, as a result of which somebody has to wait six and a half years? Will this matter be examined?

Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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I understand this is an important matter, particularly when dealing with somebody with a disability who needs access to State supports. The Government has protected the allocations for this grants scheme to ensure those with a disability will have access to grant aid through their local authorities. The implementation and delivery of the scheme are the responsibility of the housing authority, which is the local authority. If what the Senator said is correct - I have no reason to doubt him - there is an element of dysfunction in the housing authority in question. I suggest it is a matter for the local authority to take it up as a matter of policy with its strategoc housing policy committee to see how improvements can be made in the delivery of allocations and how they are spent in order to ensure better accountability and efficiency and, more importantly, that we deliver for those disabled persons who badly need access to these funds.