Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

325. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the amount spent in 2018, 2019 and 2020 on adapting houses for persons with disabilities by county and by type of ownership, that is, private homes, local authority owned homes and approved housing body homes in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11227/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department provides capital funding to Local Authorities with regard to the Disabled Persons Grant (DPG) scheme and the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme. While both schemes are administered directly by the local authorities they operate independently and from separate funding streams, the main differences being, the ownership status of the properties eligible for funding and the level of local authority contribution.

DPG funding is provided for adaptations and extensions to existing social housing stock to meet specific needs of the local authority tenants with a 10% contribution required from the local authority. The Housing Adaptation Grants address specific needs of older people and people with a disability in privately owned homes with a 20% contribution required from the local authority.

Details of the funding provided by my Department to each local authority under the DPG scheme and Housing Adaptation Grants scheme for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020 are available at the following links:

.

My Department is very supportive of work in this area and funding allocated has been increasing year on year.

My Department does not maintain records for works carried out by Approved Housing Bodies specifically related to adaptation works for people with a disability.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

326. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of the analysis conducted to date that compares the costs of adapting houses which have been designed to universal design standards for persons with disabilities to the cost of adapting housing units without universal design standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11228/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The information requested by the Deputy is not available in my Department. However, Action 97 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 states – “We will prepare policy advice on ways of achieving universal design solutions for new housing so that new homes can be accessed and used by all persons, irrespective of size, age, ability or disability. We will advise on any implications of same for stakeholders including designers, builders, homeowners and tenants.”

I understand that the National Disability Authority (NDA), which falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth, is working on this policy advice and associated estimate of costs on ways of achieving universal design solutions in new housing.

The NDA also provides comprehensive guidance on how to design, build and manage buildings and spaces so that they can be readily accessed and used by everyone, regardless of age, size, ability or disability. 'Building for Everyone, A Universal Design Approach', a NDA publication, may be accessed at www.nda.ie.

The ‘Programme for Government Our Shared Future’commits to ensuring that there is an appropriate mix of housing design types provided, including universally designed units, and accommodation for older people and people with disabilities.

In addition, the joint policy statement Housing Options for Our Ageing Population, launched by my Department and the Department of Health in 2019, includes an Action on universal design to “In partnership with industry, introduce measures to ensure that over a five year period delivery is increased to ensure that 30% of all new dwellings are built to incorporate universal design principles to accommodate our ageing population.” Appropriate measures to deliver on this commitment are currently being formulated by my Department.