The Council operates three Housing Grant Schemes for older people and those who are disabled as follows:

• The Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for People with a Disability  (HAGS)
• The Mobility Aids Grant Scheme  (MAGS)
• The Housing Aid for Older People Scheme  (HAOPS)

These grants are available in respect of owner occupied dwellings and certain rented dwellings (subject to written permission being provided by the Landlord).  The schemes provide that grants may be awarded by South Dublin County Council to qualified applicants subject to the criteria set out in the regulations  - Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability) Regulations 2007 -  and associated guidance documents issued by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (DoECLG).

The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. These schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupments available from the Department of the Evironment Community and Local Government together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority.

The Council was notified by letter dated 1st March 2013 of its 2013 *Combined Capital Allocation for the payment of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability Schemes in the sum of  €1,213,986.05.   This allocation represented a 40% reduction (nationally) on the 2012 spend on these grants.

The Council made a submission to the DoECLG outlining the position of the Council in relation to the funding and asked that favourable consideration be given to potentially source additional funding for these vital Housing Grant Schemes for South Dublin County Council.

A motion passed at the April 2013 Council Meeting was also submitted to the Minister.

Following the submissions to the DoECLG notification of  Supplementary Funding for Private House Grants 2013 was received dated 22nd April 2013.  This notification advised that the Department had agreed to release funds identified  from a contingency reserve to the Local Authorities that had written requesting supplementary funding and that an additional  €100,889 has been added bringing the combined exchequer and LA funding to €1,340,098.

10  Local Authorities who made submissions benefitted from an additional allocation.

While this additional approval is very welcome the table hereunder in relation to 2013 activity reflects the ongoing need to administer the scheme by applying an effective and easy to understand scheme of prioritisation on the basis of the medical needs of the applicant. The three levels of medical priority advised to this Council by DoECLG are as follows:

1.  Priority 1: Terminally ill or mainly dependent on family or a carer, or where alterations/adaptations would facilitate the discharge from hospital or alleviate hospitalisation in the future.
2. Priority 2: Mobile, but needs assistance in accessing facilities, or where, without the adaptation the disabled person's ability to function independently would be hindered.
3. Priorty 3: The applicant is independent, but requires special facilities to improve their quality of life, e.g. separate bedroom or living space.

2013 ACTIVITY

Applications PAID from 01/01/2013 - 30/4/2013:

 Applications Approved WAITING PAYMENT  from 01/01/2013 – 30/4/2013:

The situation is continuing to be monitored on a weekly basis and a review of the financing for the Grant Schemes has been initiated by the various stakeholders including the Local Government Management Agency, the City & County Managers Association and the Department of Environment Community & Local Government (DECLG).  South Dublin County Council represents the Local Authority sector on the review group.

This matter  was listed on the agenda for the Housing Action Plan meeting in the Department of Environment Community & Local Government held on Tuesday 28^th May and South Dublin County Council made another very strong case for additional funding, should it become available.   Accordingly a new submission is currently being prepared and it is expected that any decision on surplus / contingency funding from the Department of Environment Community & Local Government will likely be made when the 2014 budget and 2013 outturn are being examined. 

In the interim South Dublin County Council will continue to receive and assess new applications, but approval will continue to be made strictly on the Priority 1 basis.

* Combined Allocation refers to the overall Approved Allocation which is 80% funded from exchequer (€1,072,078) and 20% funded from Council 's own revenue resources (€268,020).