Written answers

Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Housing Adaptation Grant

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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210. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the demand for access to the housing adaptation grant for elderly persons in this Deputy's constituency, his plans to reintroduce the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7321/15]

Photo of Alan KellyAlan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Under the terms of the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, which is administered by the local authorities, grants are available to assist households to have necessary repairs or improvement works carried out in order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their homes. Three separate schemes are available as follows.

The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, which assists people with a disability to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out in order to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. Grants for up to €30,000 are available for works including the provision of access ramps, stair lifts, accessible toilet and shower facilities, wheelchair access and extensions.

The Mobility Aids Grant Scheme is available to fast track grants of up to €6,000 to cover a basic suite of works to address the mobility problems of a member of a household. Qualifying works include the provision of stair lifts, level access showers, access ramps, grab rails and some minor adaptation works.

The Housing Aid for Older People Scheme provides grants of up to €8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. Grant eligible works include structural repairs or improvements, re-wiring, repairs to or replacement of windows and doors, provision of water supply and sanitary facilities, provision of heating, cleaning, painting etc.
The detailed administration of these schemes, including the apportionment of funding between the various grant measures and the assessment, approval and payment of grants to individual applicants under the various grant measures, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

Last year, Exchequer funding of over €37 million was provided for the grant schemes. I am pleased to be in a position to increase that funding by some 10% in 2015 to €40.4 million; individual allocations to local authorities will be made shortly.

Funding in the total amount of €654,876 was made available to Sligo in 2014 for the grant schemes.

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