Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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1323. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if there is a benefit solution to make up the shortfall in the cost of providing a purposed room for an autistic child in a private house after the housing adaptation grant has been granted in circumstances in which the parents, who are not entitled to social welfare due to employment, cannot avail of a financial institution loan due to health grounds. [25366/18]

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 adaptations to private houses. 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 Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability scheme provides grants of up to €30,000 to assist people with a disability to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out. The detailed administration of the schemes, including the assessment, approval and payment of individual grants to applicants, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

There is no further funding available from my Department to make up the shortfall between the grant and cost of works; however, the means of the applicant are taken into account in the calculation of the grant.