Under the terms of the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, grants are available to assist households to have necessary repairs, adaptations or improvement works carried out in order to meet the accommodation needs of an older person or a person with a disability. The suite of grants include three separate grant measures; the Mobility Aids Grant scheme with grants of up to €6,000, the Housing Aid for Older People scheme with grants of up to €8,000 and the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability with grants of up to €30,000, depending on household income. The schemes are ad ministered by the local authorities and it is a matter for each local authority to determine the extent of the grant-eligible works, the amount of grant aid to be paid in individual cases and how applications are prioritised.
Under my Department’s renewal or repair of thatched roof grant scheme, a grant of up to €3,810, or two thirds of the approved cost, whichever is the lesser, may be payable in respect of necessary works to renew or repair the thatched roofs of houses. A higher grant of up to €5,714 may be payable where the house is situated on certain specified islands off the West and South coasts. In the case of medical card holders, a grant of up to €6,350, or up to 80% of the approved cost, may be payable in respect of houses situated on the mainland, rising to €8,252 where the house is situated on a specified off-shore island. Outside of the grant schemes mentioned, there is no further assistance provided to householders by my Department.