S.I. No. 104/2014 - Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability) (Amendment) Regulations, 2014.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 4th March, 2014.

I, JAN OSULLIVAN, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government by Section 5 of the Housing Act, 1966 (No. 21 of 1966) (as amended by section 24 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 (No. 18 of 1992)) (adapted by the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 193 of 2011 )), which powers are delegated to me by the Environment, Community and Local Government (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2012 ( S.I. No. 148 of 2012 ), and with the consent of the Minister for Finance hereby order as follows:

Citation

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability) (Amendment) Regulations, 2014.

Commencement

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on 27 February 2014.

Collective Citation and Construction

3. The Principal Regulations and these Regulations may be cited together as The Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability) Regulations from 2007 and 2014 and shall be construed together as one.

Interpretation

4. In these Regulations, the ‘Principle Regulation’ means the Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability) Regulations, 2007 ( S.I. No. 670 of 2007 ).

Amendments to the Principal Regulations

5. The Principal Regulations are amended as follows:

(a) in Article 3, by substituting the following for the definition of “household income” at (a) and (b):

“household income” means—

(a) the combined annual gross income in the previous tax year of both the owner of any property the subject of an application pursuant to these Regulations, together with that of his or her spouse and each member of the household in full-time occupation of the house where such a member is aged 18 years or more, or, where he or she is engaged in full-time third level education, is aged 23 years or more, or,

(b) where the property the subject of an application pursuant to these Regulations is also the subject of a tenancy agreement, the combined annual gross income in the previous tax year of both the tenant of the said property together with that of his or her spouse, and each member of the household in full-time occupation of the house where such a member is aged over 18 years or more, or where he or she is engaged in full-time third level education, is aged 23 years or more.

(b) in Article 4, by substituting “ 27th February 2014” for ”the 1st day of November 2007”;

1Reference Number	2Annual Household Income	3Percentage of Cost of Works Available	4Maximum Grant for houses erected for more than 12 months	5Maximum Grant for houses erected for less than 12 months
1	Up to €30,000	95%	€30,000	€14,500
2	€30,001 – €35,000	85%	€25,000	€12,325
3	€35,001 – €40,000	75%	€22,500	€10,875
4	€40,001 – €50,000	50%	€15,000	€7,250
5	€50,001 – €60,000	30%	€ 9,000	€4,350
6	In excess of €60,000	No grant is payable	No grant is payable	No grant is payable

(d) in Article 6,

(i) by substituting the following table for the table in paragraph (3):

1Reference Number	2Annual Household Income	3Percentage of Cost of Works Available	4Maximum Grant Available
1	Up to €30,000	95%	€8,000
2	€30,001 - €35,000	85%	€6,800
3	€35,001 - €40,000	75%	€6,000
4	€40,001 - €50,000	50%	€4,000
5	€50,001 - €60,000	30%	€2,400
6	In excess of €60,000	No grant is payable	No grant is payable

(ii) by substituting “€6,400” for “€8,400” in paragraph (9).

The Minister for Finance consents to the foregoing Regulations.

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GIVEN under my Official Seal,

27 February 2014.

MICHAEL NOONAN,

Minister for Finance.

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GIVEN under my hand,

27 February 2014.

JAN O’SULLIVAN,

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation).

These Regulations amend the Housing (Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability) Regulations 2007 to—

• Include the income of all adult household members in the assessment of means for grant purposes.

• Reduce the number of income bands from 9 to 6 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability and adjust the reckonable percentage of costs accordingly.

• Reduce from €65,000 to €60,000 the amount of income over which no grant is payable in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability.

• Decrease the maximum amount of grant payable by local auth-orities under the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme from €10,500 to €8,000.