MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, October 13, 2014
QUESTION NO. 39
QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons
To ask the Chief Executive what is being done in regards to the 200 plus waiting list for a disability grant?
REPLY:
The Department of Environment, Community & Local Government notified SDCC by letter dated the 16th January, 2014, of a capital allocation in the sum of €1,667,043 in respect of the following private housing grants:
Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability – HAGS;
Mobility Aids Housing Grant – MAGS;
Housing Aid for Older People – HOPS.
80% (€1,333,634) of this allocation is recoupable from the Department with the balance (€333,409) funded from the Council’s revenue resources.
Expenditure, including commitments, in respect of approved applications as at end of September, 2014 is €1,392,545.19. This relates to 105 no. grants paid and 95 no. grants approved but not yet paid out to applicants.
The total no. of application on hand unapproved to date is
HAGS – 20
MAGS – 10
HOPS – 17
With regard to Council Tenants who are seeking works to their dwellings to facilitate disabled persons, the position is that applications are on hands from 258 no. such tenants at present.
To date this year, works have been undertaken in 55 no. Council dwellings occupied by disabled tenants or members of their families and three extensions have been provided for a similar purpose. Works are currently ongoing in a further 14 no. Council dwellings which will be completed by year end.
A substantial proportion of the cost of the foregoing works will be met from an allocation of €360,000 which has been notified by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government for this purpose with the balance coming from the Council’s Internal Capital Receipts.
Applications are received on an ongoing basis from Council tenants and it is likely that there will always be a waiting list for this type of work but it is hoped that the Council will be in a position to undertake a similar level of activity next year and in coming years.
