In order to facilitate the continued independent occupancy of their own homes by older people and people with a disability, and following a review of the old Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly scheme, which was administered by the HSE, a revised suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability was implemented on 1 November 2007. The revised schemes target the available resources to those in most need, streamline operational and administrative procedures and ensure equity and consistency of operation across all local authority areas.
Under the terms of the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, grants of up to €30,000, which may cover up to 95% of the cost, are available to assist in the carrying out of works which are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for the accommodation needs of a person with a disability who is a member of the household. Under the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme, grants of up to €6,000 are available and may cover up to 100% of the cost of a basic suite of works to address mobility problems, primarily, but not exclusively, associated with ageing.