ALONE say Govt is running to standstill on Housing Adaptation Grants and calls for Local Election candidates to act.

Fewer Housing Adaptation Grants committed to today than in 2010, says the organisation. 

Dublin, 30 May 2024: ALONE, the organisation that supports older people to age at home, has expressed their disappointment with the funding announcement for Housing Adaptation Grants by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage today, saying fewer grants are being funded today than in 2010.  

The announcement today by the Department that some 13,000 grants will be funded in 20241 is lower than the 13,588 grants that were funded in 20102. Since then, the population aged 65+ has increased by 60%.  

“Last year almost all Local Authorities had to request additional funding from the Department as their allocation did not come close to meeting the demand,” said ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan. “Several had to close their schemes to new applications during the year, and others implemented spending restrictions. We are conscious of building cost inflation and this increase just about meets that but does not seem to be aimed at delivering more grants. Older people we have worked with have in many cases waited months or more than a year to access grants that support them to live in their homes. Yet we are budgeting for fewer grants not just compared to last year, but fewer than we funded in 2010 when the population of older people was significantly lower.” 

Government committed to publish the waiting lists for housing adaptations by the end of 2019, but five years on this has not been completed3. In addition, the review by the Department of Housing into housing adaptation grants relating to grant amounts and other issues was due to be published in 2022.  

Last year, a review by ALONE carried out via FOI requests to each Local Authority found that thousands of people nationwide were on waiting lists for the grants. Housing Adaptation Grants are the most prevalent area of housing concern among older people supported by ALONE. More than one in three people reported housing adaptation needs over the year, indicating a steady demand for modifications to accommodate the specific needs of older individuals.  

“We need our Local Authority councilors and our TDs to speak up and advocate for the older people and people with disabilities in their constituencies so that funding for Housing Adaptation Grants and access to these is considerably improved,” concluded Moynihan. “As we approach Local Election voting day next week, we urge all candidates to make this an issue in their campaign and commit to addressing this at a local level. Ireland is recognised as an age-friendly country, but we need the older people we work, with who cannot get the grant support they need, to feel that.”