Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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246. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the waiting lists and waiting times for receipt of the housing adaptation grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8025/23]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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247. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for a breakdown of the uptake of the housing adaptation grant in 2022; the number of applications for the grant; the number of applicants that were approved for the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8026/23]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together.

My Department provides funding to local authorities under the Disabled Persons Grants scheme to carry out works on social housing stock to address the needs of older people, people with a disability or overcrowded situations. The detailed administration of this scheme including assessment, approval and prioritisation of applications is the responsibility of local authorities.

My Department's approach every year, in the first instance, is to allow local authorities complete works up to 65% of the previous year’s allocation in the absence of formal approval to keep this important work going. Following this, later this year, my Department will issue a single full year allocation to each local authority, so they can plan, prioritise and implement the programme to carry out the varying works necessary to meet the needs of their tenants in this year. The programme is 90% funded by my Department with a 10% contribution from the local authority.

Details on the allocation and drawdown of funding for each local authority for the period 2011-2022 for the Disabled Persons Grant, which incorporates Improvement Works in Lieu, is available at the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/061cd-disabled-persons-grant-and-improved-works-in-lieu-schemes-allocation-and-drawdown/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/en/publication/c472d-disabled-persons-grant-and-improved-works-in-lieu-schemes-allocation-and-drawdown-2011-2020/

My Department also 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 detailed administration of the grants including their assessment, approval and prioritisation, is the responsibility of each local authority. Details of the number of grants paid and the amount spent by all local authorities for 2022 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 Housing Options for an Ageing Population policy statement includes a commitment by my Department to work closely with local authorities to review the Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme and the waiting lists in place for adaptations and publish this data on a yearly basis to identify any barriers and gaps at local and national level and help to streamline the process to ensure timely intervention.

My Department developed a new recoupment claim form which was implemented by local authorities on a phased basis throughout 2022. The new form captures data on the date a valid application is received, approved and paid by a local authority. This will allow the Department to calculate the average length of time that it will take a local authority to approve valid applications and issue grant payments over the 12 month period of 2023 taking account that local authorities submit recoupment claims in batches at various stages throughout the year. This approach will ensure that all local authorities are correctly represented in the resulting data to be available for publication by early 2024 in respect of 2023.

In addition, my Department also plans to engage with local authorities in 2023 on any pending applications on hand awaiting approval across each local authority particularly examining the reasons for any delays.

In advance of the availability of this data, my Department does not have the information requested in relation to the current number of applications pending or the waiting times in individual local authorities. This information may be available directly from the local authorities.

Housing for All commits to reviewing the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. A report on the review of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability has been prepared by my Department. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds, the grant limits, the application and decision making processes, including supplementary documentation required. I will be giving careful consideration to the review report and expect to make a decision on the recommendations in the report as soon as possible.