Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2017
208. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the local authorities that have undertaken adaptations and extensions to their social housing network in the first six months of 2017; the number of adaptations and extensions that were undertaken; and the value of the works for each local authority applicable, in tabular form. [40890/17]
View answerThe Disabled Persons Grant Scheme provides funding for adaptations to existing social housing stock such as grab rails, disabled access ramps, wet rooms, etc. The Scheme also provides for extensions in cases of overcrowding.
In order to ensure that there were no delays for priority and urgent cases under the scheme, all local authorities were advised on 24 March 2017 that they could undertake works of up to 65% of their 2016 allocation in advance of the 2017 allocations issuing. This allowed local authorities to plan and progress works under the scheme throughout the year. My Department advised all local authorities of their full 2017 DPG allocations on 12 September 2017.
Local authorities are required to submit claims under the scheme by the end of November each year. Accordingly, my Department does not compile statistics on the take-up on the scheme until year-end. In 2016, some 1,500 adaptations were completed under the scheme and, as the funding for 2017 has been maintained at 2016 levels, a similar level of take-up would be expected this year.
