Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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521. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if any financial support is available for housing extensions where household income is over the financial threshold to qualify for a sufficient local authority housing adaptation grant for disabled people to carry out necessary adaptations for disabled persons to continue to live at home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37427/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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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 suite of grants, which include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, are funded by my Department with a contribution from the local authority.  The detailed administration of the scheme including assessment, approval, prioritisation and budgetary apportionment is the responsibility of local authorities.

The Exchequer funding available for these grants in 2025 has been increased substantially by €25 million to €99.5 million, or over €117 million when accounting for the local authority contribution, continuing the year on year increases since 2014. 

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/department-of-housing-local-government-and-heritage/publications/report-on-the-review-of-the-housing-adaptation-grants-for-older-people-and-people-with-a-disability/ 

The grants available operate on a sliding scale with the highest percentage grants available to those with the lowest incomes and vice versa.  The schemes are means tested and grant assistance is available to applicants whose household income, after disregards and deductions, is up to €75,000 per annum. The household income approach is intended to spread the benefits of the grant scheme as widely as possible and to ensure fairness and value for money in operation of the scheme towards those with the greatest needs. 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.