asked the Minister for Local Government if he will make disability housing grants available to the moderately handicapped.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Grants.
27.
Mr. Kitt
In 1972, a scheme of grants was introduced for the adaptation of houses to accommodate physically handicapped persons. In 1975, I extended the scope of the scheme to include work done where the local authority are satisfied that a member of a household suffers from severe mental handicap and that the existing accommodation in the house is inadequate for his proper treatment or segregation from other members of the household. I do not propose to extend this scheme further at present.
It is quite right that grants are available for severely handicapped persons.
I am sorry. I cannot hear the Deputy.
Deputy Kitt asked the Minister if he would consider making grants available for moderately handicapped people.
I do not propose to alter the scheme at present. It was changed in 1975 when there was a big extension of it. There is no point in suggesting it can be further extended at present.
It is pretty hard to qualify.
No. There is a big difference between moderately mentally handicapped people and people who are severely mentally handicapped. Moderately handicapped people are living in houses and working around them and they are absolutely no trouble at all. The reason I included severely mentally handicapped people was that I realised they are a great cause of trouble in many houses and it was necessary to build additions for them. It is unfair to try to press something which is still in the experimental stage.