Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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311. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the expenditure on the housing adaptation grant from 2011 to 2016 to date; the cost of restoring this grant to 2011 levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20712/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Information on expenditure by my Department under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, from 2011 to 2015, is available on my Department’s website at the following link:.

The funding allocation of €56.25 million in 2016 for the grants represents an increase of some 10% in funding over the 2015 allocation and comprises €45 million Exchequer funding and €11.25 million from local authority resources. To date in 2016, some €16 million has been expended on grants in this area.

Increasing funding to the 2011 level of expenditure would cost an additional €16 million to the Exchequer, with a further €4 million to be contributed by the local authorities. I am conscious of the social benefit accruing from such grants in terms of facilitating the continued independent living by older people and people with a disability in their own homes and I can assure the Deputy that in line with the Programme for a Partnership Government, further consideration will be given to increasing this funding over the coming years.