Disabled hit by funding deficit in homes grant scheme

Disabled and elderly people in Cork county face unnecessary hardship over a funding deficit in home improvement grants.

Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe claimed Cork Co Council is facing a shortfall of hundreds of thousands of euro in meeting its commitments in grants for a housing adaptation scheme.

He laid the blame firmly at the door of the Department of Environment.

Demand in Co Cork for home adaptation grants will top more than €10 million this year. To date, the county council has paid out grants for home adaptations totalling €7,912,461 with a further €2,253,507 due to applicants already approved.

County manager Martin Riordan recently got approval from his councillors to run over budget for its 20% contribution to the scheme, adding a further €502,594 to the scheme.

In the meantime, the local authority sought additional funding from the Department of the Environment. But the allocation, announced earlier this week, was less than expected at €1.6m.

It had been hoped the department would commit to more than €2.1m to ensure the €10m required could be met.

Cllr Kevin O’Keeffe (FF) claimed the department “had short-changed the council”.

He maintained a lot of elderly and disabled people would not get the money owed for adaptations.

“We’ve also been told that next year’s allocation from the department will be even less. It means more and more people will suffer, people who are among the most vulnerable in society,” he said.

County manager Martin Riordan said the council would have to bridge the gap itself and hope to recoup the money at some later stage from the department.

However, the situation could get even worse next year because it is expected the department will again cut allocations to local authorities. “The early indications are the allocations will be reduced next year,” Mr Riordan stated.