I propose to answer Questions Nos. 413 and 414 together.
My Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability, to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The grants are 80% funded by my Department, with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The detailed administration of these schemes including assessment, approval and prioritisation, is the responsibility of local authorities.
In advance of formal notification of the 2023 funding allocations to local authorities, work in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability continued as local authorities were permitted commit up to 65% of their 2022 allocation in approving applications for 2023. Louth County Council has advised my Department that it has reached this commitment point. My Department subsequently issued the individual funding allocations for 2023 from the Exchequer provision of €66.5 million or €83.125 when accounting for the local authority contribution. This funding has increased year on year since 2014 with all local authorities, including Louth County Council, receiving an increase for 2023.
Over the course of the year, my Department works closely with the local authorities to monitor spend and to achieve a full drawdown of the available funding. This means that any underspends that arise on the part of any local authority can be redistributed to other authorities which have high levels of grant activity and my Department makes every effort to redistribute such funding throughout the year.
Housing for All commits to reviewing the full suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. A report on the review of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability has been prepared by my Department. Among the areas which the review considered are the grant limits and the funding provisions for the three grant schemes. I will be giving careful consideration to the review report and expect to make a decision on the recommendations in the report as soon as possible.
