Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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124. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is considering increasing funding to local authorities to aid housing adaptation grants for older persons and persons with a disability applicants to meet the extra costs in circumstances in which the maximum grant available for available falls considerably short of rising construction costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24990/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Funding of €75 million is available nationally in 2021 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. This funding has increased year on year since 2014. As part of the annual budgetary process, consideration will be given to this funding in future years in line with the Programme for Government commitments and the Policy Statement on Housing Options for Our Ageing Population, which is available on my Department's website at the following link:

Officials from my Department will begin a review of the existing grant limits and income thresholds applicable to the grants this year.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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125. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the details of his engagements with members and plans for houses with an association (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the fact that loans on these properties will mature in five years; and if a handover or option to purchase will be considered by him. [24991/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The approved housing body referred to delivered new build social homes through the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme. This funding model involves local authorities accessing loan finance from the Housing Finance Agency to support approved housing bodies to deliver homes for social use. The funding arrangement is secured by way of a mortgage agreement between the relevant local authority and the approved housing body. My Department supports the local authorities in the repayment of the loan finance to the Housing Finance Agency.

Part 3 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014, allows local authorities to sell local authority owned dwellings to existing social housing tenants. The Scheme only provides for the purchase of houses owned by the relevant local authorities and does not extend to houses owned by approved housing bodies as the ownership of these properties remains with them.

If a property is owned outright by an approved housing body and it is not subject to public funding, the approved housing body may choose to sell that property, once this is allowed for in their constitution. It should be noted that approved housing body must have, as their primary objectives, the relief of housing needs, and the provision and management of housing included within their memorandum of association or registered rules, as the case may be.