Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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287. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding provided to local authorities in 2017 for housing adaptation grants for persons with a disability, by local authority; the matching funding that was required; the funding unused by local authorities; if the 2018 grants have been notified to local authorities; if so, the amount by local authority; if not, when they will be notified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6646/18]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, in respect of private housing. There are three separate grants available and local authorities receive an overall allocation, with responsibility for the apportionment between the schemes being a matter for each local authority.

The funding allocation in 2017 for the schemes was €60.5m, comprising €48.4m Exchequer funding and €12.1m from local authority resources.  Information on the exchequer funding provided by my Department to each local authority under the three schemes is available on my Department's website at the following link: .

Details of the allocations for these grant schemes in 2017 are available at the following link: 

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Notification of the 2018 funding allocations to individual local authorities in respect of these schemes will issue shortly.  Ahead of these notifications, local authorities can continue with a commitment of up to 65% of their 2017 allocation.  This interim funding provision will comfortably allow local authorities to advance the work for the early part of this year, ahead of full year allocations for 2018 being confirmed shortly.

My Department also provides funding to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants. This DPG (Disabled Persons’ Grants) scheme applies to adaptations to social housing necessary to address the needs of older people or people with a disability who may require stair-lifts, grab-rails, showers, wet-rooms and ramps, etc. It also provides funding for extensions such as the installation of a downstairs bedroom or bathroom or in the case of overcrowding. It is 90% funded by my Department with 10% from each local authority's own resources.

The following is the expenditure by local authority area in respect of the DPG scheme for 2017:

DPG SCHEME 2017

My Department will shortly be requesting local authorities to submit their 2018 funding requirements under the DPG scheme. As with the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for private houses, works can take place under the DPG scheme to 65% of the previous year's allocation in advance of notification of the full year's allocation.