Eoin Ó Broin
Question:131. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the implementation of the report of the expert group on Traveller accommodation. [38308/20]
View answerTuesday, 24 November 2020
Questions (131)
Written answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 365 and 366 together.
My Department operates a broad range of programmes which support the housing needs of people with disabilities. This includes the delivery of new social homes through local authority and Approved Housing Body led build, acquisition and leasing schemes and also the provision of key supports to maintain people with disabilities within their existing homes.
In respect of construction funding, over the period 2016-2019, my Department provided almost €2.1 billion to local authorities to deliver new social homes, including new homes for people with disabilities. I will arrange for my officials to provide the Deputy with this breakdown by local authority. The detailed breakdown of housing funding in 2020 will be finalised at year-end. Prior to 2016 housing expenditure was reported on a programme basis, which encompassed multiple delivery streams.
The Programme for Government commits to increasing the social housing stock by more than 50,000. Budget 2021 has made available €3.3bn towards the wide range of housing programmes, which will deliver 12,750 new social homes next year, including a record 9,500 new Build homes. These new homes are designed and planned using guidelines, build standards and planning regulations supported by my Department.
The Capital Assistance Scheme also provides for the delivery of homes for persons with disabilities. In addition, my Department also provides a range of specialised grants, including the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability scheme (up to €30,000) and the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme (up to €6,000). These grants assist people with disabilities to have necessary adaptations, repairs or improvement works carried out and to cover a basic suite of works to address the mobility problems of a member of a household.
It is a matter for local authorities to ensure that the number and specific types of dwellings provided in their social housing developments meet local needs. My Department does not hold specific details in relation to the number of individual houses built or procured for persons with disabilities in each local authority during this period. However, this information should be available from the individual local authorities.