Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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186. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding made available to each local authority for housing adaption grants in 2020 and 2021 and the expected amount for 2022, in tabular form. [38723/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Details of the funding provided by my Department to each local authority in respect of the Disabled Persons Grants Scheme/Improvement Works in Lieu (DPG/IWIL) for local authority tenants in 2020 is available at the following link.

www.housing.gov.ie/housing/grantsfinancial-assistance/disabled-persons-grants-and-improvement-works-lieu-schemes

The 2021 DPG allocations issued to local authorities in May, details of which can be found at the link below. Local authorities are currently progressing their 2021 work programmes but it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to the drawdown of funding in 2021 will be available early in 2022.

www.gov.ie/en/press-release/20e02-minister-obrien-minister-burke-approve-over-23m-in-funding-for-the-disabled-persons-grant-scheme-improvement-works-in-lieu-of-local-authority-housing-scheme/

Separately, funding of €75 million is available nationally in 2021 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme, in respect of private houses. Local authorities fund 20% of the overall budget from their own resources with the balance of 80% funded by the exchequer. This funding has increased year on year since 2014.

Funding allocations for 2020 and 2021 are publicly available on my Department’s website at the following links:

For 2020: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0c0cf-minister-obrien-announces-over-73-million-for-housing-adaptation-grant/

For 2021: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/0da3f-minister-obrien-minister-burke-announce-75m-fund-to-improve-homes-of-older-people-people-with-a-disability/

Details of the funding drawn down for the grants up to 2020, are available on my Department's website at the following link:

www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics.

The following table contains details of the 2021 exchequer funding drawn down by local authorities for housing adaptation grants up to 30 June 2021.

In respect of 2022, as part of the annual budgetary process, consideration will be given to funding under these schemes 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:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/ea33c1-housing-options-for-our-ageing-population-policy-statement/

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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187. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide a list of all requests received from local authorities for additional funding for housing adaptation grants since 2016, in tabular form. [38724/21]

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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188. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of local authorities which did not spend their full allocation of funds for housing adaptation grants since 2016, by year in tabular form. [38725/21]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 188 together.

My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People, which are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The detailed administration of this scheme including assessment, approval and prioritisation, is the responsibility of local authorities. Local authorities receive an overall allocation, with the responsibility for the apportionment between the three schemes being a matter for each authority given their knowledge of local need.

My Department's approach each year is to issue a single full year allocation to each local authority, so they can plan and implement the grants programme. Over the course of the year, my Department works closely with the local authorities to monitor spend and to achieve a full drawdown of the available funding. This means that if underspends arise on the part of some local authorities, they can be redistributed to other authorities which have high levels of grant activity.

The following table contains details of the number of local authorities which did not draw down their full allocation under the scheme from 2016 - 2020.

Separately, the following table contains details of additional exchequer funding requested and drawn down by local authorities under the scheme from 2016 - 2020, and currently requested for 2021.

<a href="https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/debates/questions/supportingDocumentation/2021-07-15_pq18715072021_en.docx ">exchequer funding requested</a>