I propose to take Questions Nos. 313, 314, 315, 316 and 317 together.
My Department provides funding to local authorities for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Scheme. These schemes assist eligible applicants living in privately owned homes to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs, with Exchequer funding of €65 million available nationally in 2022. As part of the annual budgetary process the Exchequer funding provision for 2023 has been increased by €2 million to a total of €67 million, continuing the year on year increases since 2014.
Details of the total funding allocation and drawdown, from 2019 to 2021 and the allocation for 2022 for all local authorities, are available on my Department's website at the following link: www.housing.gov.ie/housing/statistics/social-and-affordble/other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics
Details of the number of grants paid and the funding drawn down to date for 2022 by all local authorities is provided in the following table:
Local Authority
|
Number of grants paid
|
Funding drawn down by local authorities
|
Carlow
|
233
|
€1,253,610
|
Cavan
|
124
|
€887,978
|
Clare
|
226
|
€1,328,647
|
Cork City
|
262
|
€1,400,641
|
Cork County
|
665
|
€4,058,894
|
Donegal
|
382
|
€1,697,561
|
Dublin City
|
725
|
€4,561,903
|
DL/ Rathdown
|
221
|
€1,385,985
|
Fingal
|
262
|
€1,719,315
|
Galway City
|
142
|
€701,277
|
Galway County
|
144
|
€684,481
|
Kerry
|
542
|
€2,188,424
|
Kildare
|
420
|
€2,191,822
|
Kilkenny
|
203
|
€1,185,942
|
Laois
|
168
|
€756,992
|
Leitrim
|
107
|
€545,446
|
Limerick City & County
|
776
|
€3,262,465
|
Longford
|
163
|
€758,246
|
Louth
|
169
|
€975,522
|
Mayo
|
579
|
€2,590,058
|
Meath
|
395
|
€2,081,844
|
Monaghan
|
209
|
€1,388,903
|
Offaly
|
123
|
€1,026,739
|
Roscommon
|
123
|
€755,147
|
Sligo
|
189
|
€1,093,673
|
South Dublin
|
391
|
€2,519,263
|
Tipperary
|
498
|
€2,694,397
|
Waterford City & County
|
207
|
€1,104,942
|
Westmeath
|
172
|
€821,640
|
Wexford
|
493
|
€2,361,809
|
Wicklow
|
132
|
€1,041,175
|
Totals:
|
9,445
|
€51,024,743
|
The Housing Options for an Ageing Population policy statement includes a commitment by my Department to work closely with local authorities to review the Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme and the waiting lists in place for adaptations and publish this data on a yearly basis to identify any barriers and gaps at local and national level and help to streamline the process to ensure timely intervention.
Housing for All also commits to reviewing the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Among the areas which the review, currently underway, will consider are the income thresholds, the grant limits, the application and decision making processes, including supplementary documentation required. The review is to be completed by the end of 2022.
Additionally, my Department developed a new recoupment claim form which is being implemented by local authorities on a phased basis throughout 2022. The new form captures data on the date a valid application is received, approved and paid by a local authority. My Department will collate this data to be available for publication by early 2024 in respect of 2023.