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Housing Adaptation Grant Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 December 2015

Tuesday, 8 December 2015

Questions (575)

Colm Keaveney

Question:

575. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the expenditure on the housing adaptation grant scheme and the mobility aid scheme from 2011 to date; the cost of restoring these to their 2011 levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43939/15]

View answer

Written answers

My Department provides funding under the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. There are three separate grants available and local authorities receive an overall allocation, with the responsibility for the apportionment between the three schemes being a matter for each authority.

Information on the exchequer funding provided by my Department to each local authority for these grants is available on my Department’s website at the following link:http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/StatisticsandRegularPublications/HousingStatistics/, by selecting ‘Social and Affordable Housing’, ‘Housing Adaptation Grants by Area 2008 to date’. Information on the 2015 allocations is on my Department’s website at the following link:http://www.environ.ie/en/GeneralNews/MainBody,41581,en.html.

The total funding allocation of €50.5m nationally for these grants that I announced in May 2015 represents an increase of some 10% over the 2014 funding. As the funding provided in 2011 was €76m, additional funding of €25.5m would be required to restore funding to that level. I am aware of the social benefit accruing from these schemes in terms of facilitating the continued independent occupancy of their own homes by older people and people with a disability and a further funding increase of 10% is proposed for the grants in 2016.

In addition, some changes were introduced to the grants in January 2014 following a review carried out in 2013. These changes are spreading the benefits of the grants as widely as possible and improving fairness and value for money in their operation. This approach, combined with the additional funding being provided, will see over 8,500 households benefit from the grants in 2016.

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