Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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569. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to abolish the means testing for the housing adaptation grant for disabled persons, the mobility aids grant, and the housing aid for older persons' grant; if he will ensure that all adaptations, appliances, new improvement works, and so on, are affordable to all persons with a disability in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2170/25]

Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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581. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether there exists an available grant for a disabled person to install an accessible upstairs bathroom. [2362/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 569 and 581 together.

My Department provides Exchequer funding to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People scheme, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, which are funded by my Department, with a contribution from the resources of the local authority. The detailed administration of the scheme including assessment, approval, prioritisation and budgetary apportionment is the responsibility of local authorities.

The Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People and the Mobility Aids Grant is available for the carrying out of works of adaptation that, in the opinion of the local authority, are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for a member of the household who has an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability. In general, it can be used for works such as level access showers, accessible bathrooms, access ramps, stair lifts or extensions. Having considered all of the circumstances in any particular case, it is a matter for the local authority to determine grant eligibility.

My Department carried out a review of the Housing the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People scheme including a review of the Means Test, and the Report on the Review is available on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/0aac1-report-on-the-review-of-the-housing-adaptation-grants-for-older-people-and-people-with-a-disability/

The Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People) Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 612 of 2024), which came into effect on 1 December 2024, provide the legal basis for the introduction of the recommendations set out in the review. The key changes include an increase in the grant limits of over 30% and the income thresholds by 25% whilst also revising the means test. The legislation also adjusts the burden sharing for local authorities by reducing the local authority funding contribution to 15% (from the previous 20%).

In line with the recommendations of the review, the schemes will continue to be means tested and operate on a sliding scale with the highest percentage grants available to those with the lowest incomes and vice versa. The enhanced scheme includes the introduction of additional income deductions for housing, residential and home care costs incurred. In addition, a number of payments from the Department of Social Protection are disregarded for the purpose of the means test. These disregards are designed to ensure that the provision of financial assistance for living costs or care do not disadvantage an individual applying for grant assistance under the scheme

Budget 2025 provided for an increase of €25m in the funding provision for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People, with almost €100 million allocated for 2025. This increase will underpin implementation of the recommendations set out in the review ensuring that the grants remain fit for purpose for older and disabled people.