It has come as a bomb shell for many older people that Dublin City Council will not accept applications for the Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme and the Housing Aid for Older People for the remainder of the year.

This decision was taken by Senior Management at the Council because they already have commitments that use up their €12.5 Million Budget. However, it abruptly pulls the mat out from under a lot of vulnerable people in our community. People realise funding is limited in a recession, but rather than refuse all applications, the council should preserve the scheme for priority cases.

For example, Applications should still be accepted from those who are unable to leave hospital till alterations are made to their homes, and these should be fast tracked. This decision will undoubtedly cause further worry to many patients and their families. It is a lot cheaper for the state to pay out disability grants for home improvement, than to have to pay for a bed in an acute hospital, which has an opportunity cost of €1,000 per day.

The problem of delayed discharge of patients to their homes or to convalescent facilities is already a serious problem for the Northside Hospitals, with up to 1 in 5 beds being occupied by patients ready for discharge.

Note:

The €12.5 million has already been allocated for the applications received so far by Dublin City Council; therefore no new applications will be accepted. The total budget for Dublin City Council is €928.76 Million.

According to the Council, an increase in applications and grants available has caused the money to be used up.