Govt Allocate €71.25m To Improve Homes Of The Elderly & Disabled

The Government has announced funding allocations of €71.25 million to be made available in 2019 for Housing Adaptation Grants for older people and those living with disabilities.

The money, an 8% increase on last year, will be used for home adaptations and to allow people to remain living independently for longer, as well as facilitating earlier returns from hospital.

Announcing the news, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Damien English TD said: "I am pleased to be in a position to increase the funding for this important scheme by some 8% in 2019. All local authorities will be getting an increase in 2019 compared to their 2018 allocation. Last year these grants assisted over 9,400 households and this year I expect that some 11,800 households will benefit from the schemes. I am also pleased that funding has been increasing year on year since 2014, and this shows the importance that is attached to the scheme. 

"These grants have an immense 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."

Funding of up to €30,000 is available to assist people with a disability in carrying out necessary works to make a house more suitable for their needs, up to €8,000 to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out and up to €6,000 for mobility aids to address mobility problems for a member of the household.

The grants are 80% funded from the exchequer by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, with 20% coming from the relevant local authority. The scheme also creates employment opportunities for builders and local businesses and help reduce the dependency on our health services by supporting independent living for as long as possible.

"I am confident that today's allocation will continue to build on the progress made since the introduction of this scheme in 2007 and it will demonstrate the Government's continued commitment to older people and people with a disability. This follows on from our launch last week of our policy document Housing Options for our Ageing population, which committed further resources for the elderly," the Minister concluded.



(JG/CM)