Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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1052. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a house is uninhabitable and the owner is under 66 years of age, the schemes or grants that are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21610/15]

Alan 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, 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. While the age limit for eligibility for this scheme is 66 years, a lower age limit can apply at the discretion of the local authority in certain cases.

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.