Grant Payments Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-25 ============================================================ Christopher O'Sullivan (FF), Cork South-West I thank Senator Scahill. There are three main asks in his opening remarks, namely, broadening the scope when it comes to assistive technology, means-testing and assessment of income and better data, which is also a good point. I will outline the scheme. The Senator already mentioned how it has been expanded and improved. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides funding to local authorities under the housing adaptation grants for older people and the disabled people scheme to assist people in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. These grants are available to people with an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability, as well as to older people who experience mobility issues or require essential repairs to their home in order that they can continue to live independently at home. In budget 2026 we provided an annual increase of €30 million, with almost €130 million in Exchequer funding available for the scheme, or over €152 million when accounting for the local authority contribution. As the Senator has said, this significant increase in funding will support the payment of some 17,000 grant claims, as well as the continued implementation of the revised grant limits, income thresholds and the increase in the Exchequer contribution from 80% to 85%. The detailed administration of the scheme, including the assessment, approval, prioritisation and budgetary apportionment is the responsibility of local authorities. The housing adaptation grant for disabled people is available to carry out works of adaptation that, in the opinion of the local authority, are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for a member of a household who has an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability. In general, these grant schemes can be used for works such as level-access showers, accessible bathrooms, access ramps, stair lifts, fixed-track hoists or extensions. Grant aid may also be considered for assistive technologies which are infrastructure related or essential technological adaptations to the fixtures and fittings of a property. Works which may be considered include adjustable height countertops and automated or voice-activated doors, lighting and heat controls. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage completed a review of the housing adaptation grant for older people and the people with a disability scheme in 2024. The regulations for the housing adaptation grants for older people and disabled people, which came into effect on 1 December 2024, provide the legal basis for the introduction of the recommendations set out in the review. The key changes included an increase in the grant limits of over 30% and a 25% increase in the income thresholds, while also revising the means test. The legislation also adjusts the burden sharing for local authorities by reducing the local authority funding contribution to 15%, as the Senator also outlined. The review also recommended that the Department of housing provide updated guidance to local authorities on housing adaptation assistive technologies relating to the fixtures and fittings of a property which qualify within the schemes having regard to the evolving nature of such technology. My Department has provided guidance to local authorities and will continue to do so as technologies evolve. The key point in regard to assistive technologies is that guidance is provided. Assistive technologies are allowed. Perhaps we need to examine if they are too prescriptive, whether they need to be broader and if we need to give a bit more discretion to local authorities on assistive technology. I hear a phone ringing. I feel a bit like Roy Keane now. Whose phone was that? In cases where assistive technology is clearly beneficial then perhaps a bit more scope should be given but the schemes allow for some assistive technologies. The changes to the means test have been significant in terms of the increased income allowed. Senator Scahill is talking about a particular instance when it applies to individual whom the grant is for. I totally accept his point about better data. If we can collect better data it will lead to better decision-making and possibly shape the scheme going forward. We are always open to adapting and improving the schemes and to review them, as has been seen with the current schemes. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-25/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:07+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-06-25