I wish to raise the issue of the latest cut to affect people with disabilities. Without any prior warning, a circular issued on New Year's Eve from a Labour Party Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government announced cuts in the housing adaptation and mobility aid grants with immediate effect for all new applicants. These changes in the income bands will have a serious impact. For example, if a household's income is €41,000, which is not a significant amount for two or three people working, it will now need to pay 50% of the adaptation costs. Previously, it only needed to pay 30%. This is a decrease in the grant from €21,000 to €15,000. The further decision to include the entire household will also impede people's ability to apply.

These grants cover a range of adaptations, including stair lifts, wheelchair ramps, bathrooms for persons with disabilities, ground floor toilets, etc. These can make the difference between living at home in the community and being put into institutional care. The claim that the Government has increased the amount available is a joke. While it increased from €35 million to €38 million this year, the reality is a €56 million cut since 2010, some two thirds overall. This has led to significant waiting lists for the grants.

Since 2008, people with disabilities have suffered a cut of more than 8% to means-tested welfare payments, a cut to respite care supports and a 14% cut to essential health services. Does the Tánaiste agree that these cuts amount to an all-out assault on the hard fought for rights of people with disabilities to independent living? Does he agree that this matter is a further onslaught on their fundamental human rights?

The allocation for these grant schemes in 2014 has been increased. The allocation in 2013 was €34.2 million. The allocation for 2014 is €38.4 million, which has been reflected in the allocations made to individual local authorities in recent days. The Deputy is right in that, in many cases, applications for these grants took a long time to process. For this reason, when making allocations last February, the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, announced her intention to review the operation of these schemes so as to ensure that they were targeted at those most in need. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government requested the Housing Agency to establish a review group of local authority officials to review the grant schemes. The terms of reference were to examine the current housing grants and to make recommendations as to how the grants could become more focused and targeted at those most in need. Members of the review group included representatives from the County and City Managers Association, CCMA, and the National Housing Practitioner Network, departmental officials and Housing Agency representatives. Consultations took place with organisations representing older people and people with disabilities.

This year's allocation has been increased. Savings in the housing capital budget identified mid-year enabled the Minister of State to make additional funding of €2.2 million available in 2013. It is her intention to apply the same rigour to her budget in 2014 and to use savings in other areas to make additional allocations later this year.

Hear, hear.

Every local authority will receive additional funding this year. Expenditure will be closely monitored. Any saving arising will be re-allocated to areas where the need is greatest.

There have been no changes to the mobility aids grant in terms of its maximum amount, which is €6,000, or the means testing for same. The maximum grant to cover 100% of the cost of works will be available to those with gross annual household incomes of up to €30,000. There has been no change to the maximum grant available for the housing adaptation grant for people with a disability, that being, €30,000.

In the case of housing aid for older people, the maximum grant has been reduced from €10,500 to €8,000. It should be noted, however, that the average grant payment in the past three years has been approximately €4,000, well below the maximum available.

Why did the Government cut it then?

In terms of the housing adaptation grant for people with disabilities and the housing aid for older people, the amount of income over which these are payable has been reduced from €65,000 to €60,000. While the age limit for eligibility for housing aid for older people has increased from 60 years to 66 years in line with the majority of supports for older people, a lower age limit can apply in certain circumstances at the discretion of the local authority. This may happen in certain hardship cases or where guidance is provided by medical professionals.

That was a classic case of talking down the clock.

Spin.

Since 2010, the €100 million in grant allocations for people with disabilities was reduced to €35 million last year. There are big waiting lists. This is a cut. The criteria being tightened represents a further cut. No one applies for a disability grant if he or she does not need it. Everything is assessed through the HSE. Amnesty International has stated that any cut in disability supports is an attack on the human rights of the disabled person. The Tánaiste is standing over that attack with his answer.

Following this cut, the Disability Federation of Ireland stated:

A whole series of public policy documents and statements promise that people with disabilities would be supported to live in their own homes in the community. The draconian cuts in the funds for housing adaptations and the further restrictions issued in the Department of the Environments circular on New Year's Eve belie that promise; by these measures, the Department is failing to deliver on the Government policies of mainstreaming and community living. We strongly urge Government to immediately prioritise the adequate funding of adaptation grants...

The Tánaiste has stood over this position for the past three years. Before the election and in his party's general election manifesto, he and the Taoiseach stated that they would make this a priority. However, the Government is continuing to cut supports for the most vulnerable in society, people who need this care. It is attacking their human rights. No amount of waffle will cover it.

Or the medical cards.

There is no cut to the maximum amount that is paid for people with disabilities or mobility-----

Some €10,000 to €8,000.

That is for older people.

The amount of money that is being provided this year for these grants is an increase - it is not a reduction - on what was provided last year.

It was €100 million in 2010.

The Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, has made it clear that in addition to the money provided for last year, she was able to find savings in grants that were not paid, which she then invested in these schemes last year. She has made it clear that if she is able to find additional savings this year, she will provide further money later in the year.

Let us be clear about this. As we start 2014, we can say with confidence that more people who are applying for these grants will get them than got them in 2013.

Hear, hear.

No matter how one twists and spins the story-----

-----more money represents an increase and more grants represents more people with these issues being addressed. The Minister of State was right to introduce changes to the operation of these schemes so that, first, they could be targeted at those most in need of them and, second, the inordinately long waiting times for these grants that many applicants needed to endure because of the complexity of the schemes will be reduced due to her streamlining of criteria. We are looking at additional money for these schemes, more people qualifying for them and a shorter length of time waiting to have applications processed.

That is a disgraceful response.