Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the resources being made available to local authorities and the powers that have been given to them to carry out means tests that are required in respect of applications received under the housing adaptation grant scheme for older people and people with disability. [22483/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The revised suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for older people and people with a disability introduced in November 2007 provide a more targeted and integrated response to the housing needs of older people and people with a disability, while ensuring that those households in greatest need benefit from the available funding. Under the new schemes eligibility for grant aid is determined on the basis of household means. Under the previous grant aid framework, some local authorities applied a means test, while others did not. My Department has developed a standardised means test to be used by all local authorities in order to provide a fair and uniform approach to the new schemes across the country, while also ensuring that those households in greatest need benefit from the available funding.

The conditions applying to the grants schemes, including means-testing, are contained in the Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and People With a Disability), Regulations 2007.