Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 July 2019
2917. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the budget for the housing adaptation grants for 2019; the number of persons who received the grant; the average amount of grants provided over the past five years; the spend to date for 2019; the estimated cost of increasing funding by 25%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33270/19]
View answerIn 2019, a total of €71.25 million is available for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme, in respect of private houses. This is made up of €57 million Exchequer funding, which is an increase of some 8% on the 2018 figure, with the balance of €14.25 m being contributed by the local authorities.
Information on these grant schemes for the years 2014 to 2018, including the numbers of grants funded per annum and the funding provided to each local authority, is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics.
The following table contains details of the 2019 exchequer funding drawn down in respect of these grants up to the end of June this year. These amounts do not necessarily represent what each local authority has spent, as funding may have been spent but not yet claimed from my Department. Also, the amounts shown for exchequer draw down are topped up by each local authority's own 20% contribution. The funding provided up to end-June this year, has facilitated some 3,262 grant payments nationwide.
|
Local Authority |
Exchequer draw down up to 30 June 2019 |
|
Carlow |
€424,557 |
|
Cavan |
€146,827 |
|
Clare |
€312,686 |
|
Cork County |
€1,469,782 |
|
Cork City |
€311,419 |
|
Donegal |
€314,034 |
|
Dublin City |
€3,267,142 |
|
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown |
€445,345 |
|
Fingal |
€786,707 |
|
Galway County |
€459,992 |
|
Galway City |
€357,675 |
|
Kerry |
€709,926 |
|
Kildare |
€483,383 |
|
Kilkenny |
€629,414 |
|
Laois |
€25,228 |
|
Leitrim |
€35,133 |
|
Limerick |
€908,949 |
|
Longford |
€130,630 |
|
Louth |
€0 |
|
Mayo |
€574,887 |
|
Meath |
€661,350 |
|
Monaghan |
€697,138 |
|
Offaly |
€31,906 |
|
Roscommon |
€312,214 |
|
Sligo |
€418,069 |
|
South Dublin |
€982,092 |
|
Tipperary |
€1,094,658 |
|
Waterford |
€516,223 |
|
Westmeath |
€197,881 |
|
Wexford |
€898,562 |
|
Wicklow |
€70,937 |
Over the course of each year, my Department works closely with all local authorities, to monitor spend and to achieve a full drawdown of the available funding. As the year progresses, any underspend is redistributed to those local authorities with high levels of grant activity who sought additional funding.
Increasing funding by 25% would cost an additional €14.25 million to the exchequer, with a further €3.56 million to be contributed by the local authorities. Further consideration will be given to increasing funding over the coming years in the context of the range of housing supports and provision being made under Rebuilding Ireland and also considering the commitments under the Government's Housing Options for Our Ageing Population - Policy Statement, which is available on my Department's website at the following link:
https://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/housingoptionsforanageingpopulationeng_web.pdf.
