COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, March 09, 2020

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor Teresa Costello

To ask the Chief Executive how many people requiring a wheelchair accessible home are currently on the waiting list and how many suitable homes are available.

REPLY:

There are 83 households on the Council's Housing and Transfer Lists who need full wheelchair access.  Suitable properties that become available are allocated in line with the Allocations Scheme to applicants from the medical list in priority date order according to specific medical needs.

Where an existing specially adapted property becomes available, reports from occupational therapists and other medical supports are assessed to determine the property meets an applicant’s needs before an offer of housing is made.  In some cases, a site visit to the property is carried out with the applicants and their support team to assess the suitability of the property. 

The Council is committed to providing additional specially adapted homes both through our social housing construction programme and in conjunction with Approved Housing Bodies.  Part M of the Building Regulations 1997 (as amended) require all new housing stock to be constructed ensuring adequate accessibility for disabled persons.  All homes  delivered since the introduction of the regulations meet this requirement.

Separately, the Disabled Persons' grant scheme specifically requires the Council to use existing housing stock to meet needs identified and each application is examined in that context and, where appropriate, a transfer to alternative accommodation may be offered following consultation with the tenant/applicant and their medical advisors including occupational therapists.  Under this scheme 762 homes in the Council's housing stock have been modified to varying degrees to meet the needs of tenants.