Paul Murphy presses for change to €60,000 housing adaptation threshold

Paul Murphy asked the Taoiseach about the review of housing adaptation grants for older people and people with a disability and urged an update on whether the income threshold will be increased. He warned that the current €60,000 gross family threshold excludes many families who are unable to afford necessary home adaptations despite facing mortgages and high grocery bills.

Review and request

Paul Murphy said a report on the review of the housing adaptation grants has been sitting on the Minister for Housing's desk for a number of months. He asked the Taoiseach and the minister for an update and specifically whether the income threshold will be increased to allow more families to qualify.

Income threshold and claimant impact

Mr Murphy highlighted that the income threshold is €60,000 gross for the entire family and that families marginally over that limit cannot access the grant. He described cases where families paying mortgages and high grocery bills cannot afford to carry out adaptations that would allow a loved one to live in appropriate circumstances with them.

Government response and timeline

The Taoiseach said he had just received the review carried out by officials in the Department and is considering it carefully along with a colleague. He said a decision is intended to be made pretty quickly and that the matter is being given huge priority.

Announcements and outstanding issues

The Taoiseach noted that Housing Adaptation Grants for 2003 have just been announced but said the review's recommendations are under careful consideration. Paul Murphy's request for clarity on whether the €60,000 threshold will be changed remains the central outstanding issue from the exchange.