Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent)
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533. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide the full criteria now applying to the housing adaptation grant for persons with a disability, the housing aid for older persons and the mobility aids grant and if he will outline the way the changes will affect applicants who have already been approved by the local authority but whose grant was not paid because of funding cut-backs and who are retained on a waiting list by the council. [1746/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The changes recently notified to Local Authorities only apply to new applications received after 1 January 2014. Any person who applied for a grant prior to January 2014 will have t heir application processed in accordance with the guidelines in place at that time. These applicants will not be affected by the changes to the terms of the schemes.

The changes were made on foot of the report of a review group, established last year by my Department, to examine the terms and conditions governing the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Membership of the group included members of both the County and City Managers’ Association (CCMA), the Housing Practitioner Network, Local Authority housing personnel and officials from my Department. Consultations were held with o rganisation s working with older people and people with a disability, including the Irish Wheelchair Association, ALONE, HSE, Ataxia Ireland, the Irish Society for Autism and the National Disability Authority. The aim of the review was to spread the benefits of the schemes as widely as possible and to ensure fairness and value for money in their operation.

There has been no change to the maximum grant available under the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability which remains at €30,000 or the Mobility Aids Grant which remains at €6,000. In the case of the Housing Aid for Older People, the maximum grant has been reduced from €10,500 to €8,000. It should be noted that the average grant paid under this scheme in 2011, 2012 and 2013 was €4,162, €4,106 and €3,995 respectively, well below the maximum available. The age limit for eligibility has been increased from 60 to 66 years. However, a lower age limit may apply at the discretion of the local authority in certain cases.

Changes have also been made with regard to the assessment of means of applicants. To bring it into line with the means assessment for applicants for social housing, all household member’s income, with certain exceptions, will be included in the assessment of means. The level of income beyond which no grant is payable has been reduced from €65,000 to €60,000

I intend to increase the level of funding available for the grant schemes in 2014. Details of the capital allocations will issue to local authorities very shortly.

A copy of the revised guidelines will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.