Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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422.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he is taking to enhance the rate of grant available for housing aid for older people and people with a disability; when these grant rates were last enhanced; when the terms of the scheme were last expanded and under what circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25501/24]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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425.To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to the ongoing discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, when the review of the housing adaptation grants, housing aid for older people grants and mobility aids grants will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25519/24]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 422 and 425 together.

My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities to administer the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, which support older and disabled people living in private houses to adapt their home to meet 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 Grant, which are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The detailed administration of these schemes, including assessment, approval and prioritisation, is the responsibility of local authorities.

The Exchequer funding provision of €74.5 million for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme has been increased by €8 million for 2024. Local authorities were recently informed of their 2024 allocations with each local authority receiving an increase on the 2023 allocation, continuing the year on year increases since 2014.

The grants were reviewed in 2013 by a review group which considered how the benefits of the grants could be spread as widely as possible and 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.

My Department works closely with the local authorities to monitor spend and to achieve a full drawdown of available funding. This means that any underspends that arise on the part of any local authority can be redistributed to other authorities which have high levels of grant activity and the Department makes every effort to redistribute such funding throughout the year. My Department encourages all local authorities to ensure all applications on hand are processed to the degree possible for final payment to ensure optimal spend on their annual allocation. Whilst additional Exchequer funding may become available, the Council must provide the 20% match funding from their own resources therefore the Council is also managing the scheme within the resources allocated at the local level.

Housing for All commits to reviewing the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme and a report on the review has been prepared by my Department. Among the areas which the review considered are the income thresholds that apply and the grant limits. My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform on the recommendations in the report with a view to bringing forward amendments to the relevant Regulations governing the schemes as soon as possible with a view to also publishing the final report.