Huge increase in housing adaptation grants welcome - Minister Áine Brady

Today’s announcement that €100 million will be provided in 2010 for grants to improve or extend the private homes of older people and people with a disability in 2010 will be welcomed by those availing of the funds.

As Minister of State with responsibility for Older People, I know the enormous benefits that these schemes offer to older people and their families.

These schemes are vitally important in assisting older people and people with a disability to continue living in their own homes and communities with the comfort and dignity that they deserve. Last year, over 11,400 grants were paid to applicants with 4,300 older people benefitting from assistance. The grants available are significant with up to €30,000 available for improvement works and extensions to facilitate a person with a disability. During the lifetime of this Government, from 1997 to 2009, we have provided almost 674 million in adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability.

The recent budget also showed huge support for homeless people, communities in need of social, physical and economic renewal and improving the environmental performance of the housing stock. Despite budgetary pressures, support for homeless provision was maintained at €56 million allowing the Government to implement it’s homeless Strategy “the Way Home”, funding for the energy efficiency retrofitting programme in the public housing stock has doubled to €40m protecting against fuel poverty and finally funding for local authority regeneration and remedial works is up this year by around €25m to €195m.

Alongside today's announcement in funding for grants for older people and people with a disability, Minister for Housing, Urban Renewal and Developing Areas, Michael Finneran has confirmed that two specific housing projects have been given the go ahead this year as part of the Limerick Regeneration Plan. The first project on Lord Edward Street will deliver 70 units of housing for elderly people, while a second project in Moyross will deliver 48 social housing units. Minister Finneran deserves credit for the huge strides he has made in securing increased funds for social housing.

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