Each housing authority is required under section 9 of the Housing Act, 1988, to assess the need for the authority to provide adequate and suitable housing accommodation for a number of categories of housing need, including the disabled. The latest such assessments were carried out at 31 March 1991 and returns are now being made to my Department. Where a housing authority provide a dwelling to meet the needs of a disabled person, they are required to have regard to the design guidelines for housing and residential accommodation issued by the National Rehabilitation Board.
Housing authorities may also adapt a local authority house or make a disabled person's grant available to adapt a private dwelling to meet the needs of a disabled occupant. Where appropriate, improvement works to facilitate a disabled person can also be carried out under the special task force for the elderly. Furthermore, a new scheme being introduced under the Plan for Social Housing will enable housing authorities to carry out adaption works to dwellings occupied by disabled persons as an alternative to the provision of a local authority dwelling.