Galway East TD Anne Rabbitte has welcomed the allocation of €2,645,500 for Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability.
Grants of up to €30,000 are available to assist people with a disability to carry out necessary works to make their home more suitable for their needs.
Grants of up to €8,000 are also available for 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 on the funding, Minister Rabbitte said that the allocation is an increase of over €300,000 compared to last year.
“As the Minister for Disability, I’m acutely aware of how important this funding is to families and individuals across Galway, and indeed the country,” said Minister Rabbitte.
“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 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.”
Minister Rabbitte criticised Galway County Council last year for being the only local authority that hadn’t drawn down any funds as of mid-year.
But she said that since then, the Council has ramped up its processing of applications, and hundreds of grants have been approved.
“The Council maxed out last year’s allocation and I’m positive that we’ll see similar a turnaround this year, which provides a major boost to people around Galway seeking to adapt their home,” said Minister Rabbitte.
The €81.25m fund announced today 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.
