Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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461. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to examine the cases of persons (details supplied) regarding their application for housing aid for older people grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35496/25]

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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483. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he is aware of any supports and grants for people of limited means or with disabilities to fix damaged driveways in instances where these fall outside the council’s roads and footpaths remediation works programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35907/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 483 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 Housing Aid for Older People Grant scheme provides grants of up to €10,700 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. Qualifying works include structural repairs or improvements, upgrading unsafe electrical wiring, drylining, repair or replacement of windows and doors and the repair or provision of central heating (where no central heating exists or the existing system is broken or beyond repair).

Regulations issued by my Department, namely the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People Scheme (S.I. 612 of 2024) prescribes that the Housing Aid for Older People Grant Scheme only applies to applicants residing in owner occupied housing. This grant is not available to applicants residing in private rented accommodation or accommodation provided by Approved Housing Bodies.

The Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People 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, these grant schemes can be used for works such as level access showers, accessible bathrooms, access ramps, stair lifts, fixed track hoists or extensions and any other works that, in the opinion of the local authority, are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for the accommodation of a disabled person.

The administration of the grants scheme, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of grant applications under the various measures, is the responsibility of each local authority. Having considered all of the circumstances in any particular case, it is a matter for the local authority to determine grant eligibility. Local authorities, in administering the scheme, work with qualifying applicants to secure the most beneficial outcome possible in line with the applicants' financial circumstances and within the parameters of the grant scheme.