Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 June 2019
673. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the allocation for local authority grants will be forwarded to city and county councils to fund mobility aid and housing adaptation grants for council housing. [25434/19]
View answerMy Department provides funding on an annual basis under the Disabled Persons Grants (DPGs) scheme to local authorities for adaptations and extensions to the existing social housing stock to meet the needs of local authority tenants. The scheme applies to works that are necessary to address the needs of older people or people with a disability. This may involve minor adaptations such as stair-lifts, grabs -rails, showers, wet-rooms, ramps etc. It also provides funding for more major adaptations such as extensions, for example in the case of overcrowding, the installation of a downstairs bedroom or bathroom.
My Department provides 90% funding towards the cost of the eligible works per property with the remaining 10% being provided by the local authorities. The local authority can carry out works up to a maximum level of €75,000 per property without the prior approval of the Department. Applications in excess of this amount can be submitted to the Department and will be considered for funding on a case by case basis.
In line with previous years, local authorities were asked to submit details of their work proposals and related funding requirements for this year, in early 2019. The local authority returns have been evaluated and the final funding allocations for 2019 will be issuing shortly.
In the interim and in advance of formal notification of their 2019 funding, to remove any impediment to the undertaking of works, local authorities were advised in early 2019 to proceed with works of up to 65% of their overall 2018 allocation. Notwithstanding this, it is anticipated that the overall available envelope of funds that will be made available in 2019 for the Disabled Persons Grant will increase on the 2018 level. This follows on a previous increase to the 2018 budget to €14 million, up from €12 million in 2017.
Following notification of their funding for 2019, it is a matter for each local authority to prioritise the works required under the scheme in the context of available funding and in line with the terms of the DPG scheme. My Department will also further review 2019 allocations and funding drawdown later this year with a view to considering the allocation of additional funding should it become available. It will be open to local authorities to seek additional funding, once their allocation is fully expended and the relevant funding recouped from the Department.
