Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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364. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the breakdown, by each local authority of the number of applicants for housing adaptation grants; the length of time each one has been waiting for a decision on their completed application; the length of time between the decision and supports being provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41285/24]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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375. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the full-year cost of increasing the maximum housing adaptation grant to €60,000 based on current drawdown numbers and composition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41623/24]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 364 and 375 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. My Department engages regularly with local authorities on the effective and efficient administration of the scheme to ensure that all applications are dealt with in accordance with Departmental guidance.

My Department developed a revised recoupment claim form which was implemented by local authorities on a phased basis throughout 2022. The revised form captures data on the date a valid application is received, approved and paid by a local authority. This will allow my 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, which my Department is working to make available as soon as possible. Details of the number of grants paid by all local authorities up to 2023 are available on my Department's website at the following link: gov - Other local authority housing scheme statistics (www.gov.ie).

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. Minister O'Brien and I recently published this Report which includes a proposed increase in the grant limits by over 30% and the income thresholds by 25% as well as number of other measures in relation to the means test. The Report on the Review of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability is available on my Department’s website at the following link: gov.ie - Ministers O’Brien and Dillon announce reforms following review of the Housing Adaptation Grants (www.gov.ie).

My Department will now proceed to implement the review recommendations through bringing forward a statutory instrument as soon as possible, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, with the aim of introducing a revised scheme in Quarter 1 of 2025. Budget 2025 provided for an increase of funding provision for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability scheme has been increased by €25 million for 2025 to almost €100 million. This increase will underpin the introduction of the recommendations set out in the review.