Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2019
641. Deputy Frank O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the additional funding request of €500,000 for Kildare County Council to fund housing adaptations for social housing tenants under category A (category 1) and category B (category 2) will be approved (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43252/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disabled Persons Grants (DPG) Scheme applies to works that are necessary to address the needs of older people or people with a disability in local authority housing. 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, or the installation of a downstairs bedroom or bathroom.
Some €15 million has been made available under the scheme in 2019, an increase of over €1 million on 2018 levels. On top of this exchequer funding, the local authority makes a further 10% contribution in respect of these grants. It is a matter for local authorities to prioritise the works to be funded under the scheme in their area, in the context of available funding and in line with the terms of the DPG scheme.
The available funding in 2019 was apportioned across all local authorities having regard to individual funding requests. Kildare County Council was granted an initial allocation of €450,000, which was supplemented by the allocation of a further €450,000, all of which has been drawn down in full. My Department is currently reviewing expenditure under the programme across all local authorities and the Council's request for further funding, along with all requests for supplementary funding, are being considered in the context of available funding.
