Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

2005. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the way in which his Department has improved services for persons with disabilities in the Cavan, Monaghan and north Meath area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37743/17]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department provides funding to local authorities for certain housing-related supports for persons with disabilities. This includes adaptations to both private and social housing, to support adaptations and extensions to meet the needs of people with a disability.

Funding is provided by my Department to local authorities to undertake adaptations and extensions to their own social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants with a disability. In addition, funding to assist people with a disability in private houses is managed by the local authorities through the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability.  This suite of grants includes the Housing Aid for Older People, the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability and the Mobility Aids Grant. The detailed administration of these grants, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of grants to applicants under the various measures, is the responsibility of the local authorities. The funding allocated to each local authority in respect of these grants, including Cavan, Monaghan and Meath, is available on my Department’s website at the following link: .

In addition, under my Department’s Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), funding of up to 100% is available to approved housing bodies (AHBs) towards the provision of accommodation for people with a disability, homeless people and elderly people who are social housing qualified. The scheme is administered by the local authorities and a provision of €66 million nationally has been made for it in 2017. Details of approved social housing construction projects in each county, including CAS projects, are set out on the Rebuilding Ireland website at: . AHBs can also purchase properties through CAS to meet the needs of people with disabilities.  Opportunities to both build and acquire further properties under CAS for people with a disability, and other eligible people, continue to be available under Rebuilding Ireland, where they meet the housing priorities set out by the local authorities.