Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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448. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the changes to the housing aid for older people scheme, if a local authority can now reject an application on the basis that a person under the age of 65 who is not the applicant or the partner or spouse of the applicant is living in the house for which the funding is applied for; if so, the support that is available to an applicant in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2664/14]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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449. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the means test for the housing aid for older people will be applied in the same way in every local authority area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2665/14]

Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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450. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a local authority can introduce its own criteria to the application process for the housing aid for older people scheme to make it more difficult for an applicant to qualify than would be the case if the Department's published criteria alone were used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2666/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 448 to 450, inclusive, together.

The changes recently notified to Local Authorities apply to new applications received after 1 January 2014. Any person who applied for a grant prior to January 2014 will have their 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 organisations 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. 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 members’ 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. In the case of an applicant where a household member is aged under 65, there is no impact on grant eligibility. However, where appropriate their income will be taken into account in accessing household income.

I have increased the level of funding available for the grant schemes by 12% in 2014 to €38.4 million. Every local authority has increased funding for grants compared to the initial allocation in 2013. The detailed administration of these schemes, including the assessment, approval and payment of grants to applicants under the various grant measures, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. The terms and conditions of the schemes must be applied uniformly and consistently across all local authority areas.