Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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346. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide a schedule of the amount granted to each local authority in respect of adaptation grants for persons with a disability on an annual basis for the past seven years to date; the amount surrendered back to his Department by each local authority over the same period in unused grant aid; and if he can fund local authorities if they deplete their annual allocations. [42303/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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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 higher levels of grant activity. My Department will give due consideration to any request received from Local Authorities for additional Exchequer funding in this regard.

Details in relation to allocations and funding draw down is available in the following table;

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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347. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the date on which the amounts available to each local authority for adaptation grants for persons with a disability were reviewed; and if he has plans to increase the amount available due to inflation costs in the construction sector. [42304/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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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:

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

The terms and conditions governing the grants were examined in 2013 by a review group that included representatives of grant beneficiaries and the local authorities. They considered how the benefits of the grants could be spread as widely as possible and to achieve fairness and value for money in the grants process. Arising from the recommendations of the review group, the income requirements, eligibility and maximum grant were revised in 2014 to focus the grants towards those with the greatest need.

As detailed in Housing for All, housing policy objectives 6 and 7 give a commitment to undertaking a review of the range of housing grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs both for our ageing population and people with a disability. Officials from my Department will begin a review of the existing grant limits and income thresholds applicable to the grant schemes later this year.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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348. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will provide the guidance and or grant aid rules that his Department issue to local authorities in respect of the way in which applications for adaptation grants for persons with a disability are reviewed; if he engages with local authorities regarding the scheme; and his views on whether the scheme is fit for purpose. [42305/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Housing Circular 41 of 2019, issued 20 December 2019, provided local authorities with revised guidelines for the operation of the Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and People with a Disability scheme, in respect of private houses. This circular also included a revised single application form for use by all local authorities.

The new form and guidelines cover the operation of the three grant schemes available, namely the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, and came into effect from 1 February 2020.

The schemes are means tested and operate on a sliding scale with the highest percentage grants available to those with the lowest incomes and vice versa.  Grant assistance is available to applicants whose household income, after disregards and deductions, does not exceed €60,000 per annum. Local authorities must adhere to the income thresholds set down by the regulations, so that the funding is focused on those households that need it most. 

Local authorities, in administering the scheme, should always work with qualifying applicants to ensure they get the most beneficial outcome possible in line with their financial circumstances. Engagement with the Local Authorities throughout the year is on-going and my Department provides individual workshops to Local Authorities to offer advice and ensure the scheme is being administered optimally.

The Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability make a very significant contribution to improving comfort levels within the home for older persons and persons with a disability and this in turn reduces the potential numbers requiring admittance to long term care facilities. In 2019, across all 31 local authorities areas, a total of 10,023 applicants benefited from assistance under the 3 grant schemes.

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 detailed in Housing for All, housing policy objective 6 and 7 give a commitment to undertaking a review of the range of housing grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs both for our ageing population and people with a disability.