Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 May 2026
327. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether any direct financial supports are available to individual families of children with additional and high sensory needs for home-based adaptations, including the development of sensory gardens or therapeutic outdoor spaces at a private residence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33799/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides funding under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and Disabled People, to assist those in private houses to make their accommodation more suitable for their needs. The suite of grants, which include the Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People, the Mobility Aids Grant and the Housing Aid for Older People Grant, are funded by my Department with a contribution from the local authority.
The Housing Adaptation Grant for Disabled People is available for the carrying out of works of adaptation that, in the opinion of the local authority, are reasonably necessary for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for a member of the household who has an enduring physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual disability. In general, these grant schemes can be used for works such as level access showers, accessible bathrooms, access ramps, stair lifts, fixed track hoists or extensions. Grant aid may be considered for the provision of infrastructural and safety related adaptations for the purposes of rendering a house more suitable for a member of the household who has a disability to create appropriate space for applicants with specific sensory needs not including the provision of sensory equipment. Therefore the development of sensory gardens or therapeutic outdoor spaces are not within the scope of the scheme.
The administration of the grants scheme, including the assessment, approval and prioritisation of grant applications under the various measures, is the responsibility of each local authority. Having considered all of the circumstances in any particular case, it is a matter for the local authority to determine grant eligibility.
Local authorities, in administering the scheme, work with qualifying applicants to secure the most beneficial outcome possible in line with the applicants' financial circumstances and within the parameters of the grant scheme.
