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Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, and Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke, have today (Monday 28 March) announced €81.25 million in funding for Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. The 8.3% national increase in allocations continues the year-on-year increases in the grant since 2014.
Grants of up to €30,000 are available to assist people with a disability in carrying out necessary works to make a house more suitable for their needs. Additionally, grants of up to €8,000 are available to assist older people to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out on their homes and grants of up to €6,000 are available for mobility aids.
Commenting today Minister O’Brien said:
“I am delighted to be in a position to allocate increased funding to each local authority so that they can continue to support older people and those with a disability to live independently.
“Importantly, home adaptations help reduce the dependency on our health services by supporting independent living for as long as possible and in other instances facilitate an early return from hospital, taking pressure off already over-burdened services.
“These grants will also provide a boost to local economies, creating employment opportunities for local contractors.”
Minister Burke added:
“I am pleased that funding for our Local Authorities to administer this scheme has been increasing year on year since 2014. This shows the importance that is attached to the scheme and the government’s commitment to older people and those with a disability.
“These grants have a huge impact on the quality of life of the many beneficiaries and play a vitally important role in helping people with a disability and people who are reaching an age in life when they are less mobile, to continue to live independently in their own homes.
“As Minister of State with responsibility for housing for older people and people with a disability, I am fully committed to assisting individuals to stay in their own homes and within their own communities for as long as possible and these allocations today will facilitate this goal for many.”
The fund announced today, which supports home adaptations for older people, those with a disability and people with mobility issues, provides 80% exchequer funding through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, with the remaining 20% in funding coming from the relevant local authority.
In January, the government published a new National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-27. The Strategy sets out how the government will put in place the frameworks to ensure that the housing and support needs of disabled people are comprehensively addressed. The Housing Agency is preparing a detailed implementation plan for the Strategy.
Publication of the strategy was a commitment under Housing for All, the government’s national plan on housing to 2030. The plan contains a range of actions and measures to ensure over 300,000 homes are built by 2030, backed by over €20 billion in guaranteed State investment to the end of 2026, so that that high-quality, affordable housing is accessible for all. Data indicates that the construction of over 33,000 homes commenced in 2021, the highest rolling 12-month total since comparable data were first published.
Housing for All commits to a review of the range of grants available to assist with meeting specific housing needs, including the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, and to implementing relevant changes. The aim is to ensure the grants remain fit for purpose and meet the housing needs of the people availing of them.
Ends
