asked the Minister for Local Government if he will consider increasing the grants on dwellings which are being provided specifically for elderly people by welfare societies or by local authorities.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dwellings for Elderly.
21.
I have no immediate proposals to increase the existing levels of these grants. Accommodation for elderly persons is provided by local authorities as part of their normal housing construction programmes and is subsidised by my Department.
I appeal to the Minister to help the local authorities and charitable societies in this regard. The present grant is inadequate to help to provide homes for elderly people. The Minister has informed the House that he saved £750,000 by withdrawing house grants and I suggest that he transfer this money to providing homes for elderly people. There are people in this city living in garrets who cannot get suitable accommodation. By making this transfer the Minister would be showing his good faith to the building trade.
I am glad to be able to tell the Deputy that I have insisted that local authorities embarking on housing schemes include in them homes for elderly persons. The result is that we have excellent homes being built for elderly persons in all schemes. Some of these schemes contain a complex of such homes. We are doing pretty well for the elderly people.
That is not enough.
We are doing pretty well within the limits and considering the bad example I got.