Mr. Michael Finneran, T.D., Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas, today (21 May, 2008) announced €71.405 million for the funding of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability in private houses for 2008. It is estimated that a further €12m will be spent on works of adaptation to make local authority rented houses more suitable for a disabled member of the household, bringing the total expenditure in the area to €83.4 million.
Announcing the allocations, the Minister said, "I am delighted to be able to announce this level of funding for the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. These Schemes are vitally important in assisting older people and people with a disability to continue to live in their own homes and communities with the dignity that they deserve". The Minister continued, "It is also very encouraging to hear that the allocations to local authorities in 2007 in respect of these Schemes has been expended in full."
The Minister further noted that expenditure by local authorities on Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability and on works of adaptation to local authority rented dwellings for a disabled member of the household, increased by €9.5 million from €71.7 million in 2006 to €81.2 million in 2007. Local authorities paid 9,588 individual grants to private houses under the schemes in 2007 and carried out works of adaptation to 805 local authority rented dwellings, a total of some 10,393 houses adapted.
In addition, initial funding of €13 million has been made available under the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme in 2008. This will enable still further progress to be made in addressing the accommodation needs of older persons.
Expenditure under the Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme, during the lifetime of this Government, from 1997 to 2007, has totalled almost €652 million with more than 120,000 grants paid. "This represents over 120,000 older people or people with a disability who this Government have assisted in remaining in their own homes and in their own communities" the Minister said.
Schedule of allocations for the payment of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability for private dwellings is attached.
