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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Dec 1993

Vol. 437 No. 2

Written Answers. - Disabled Persons' Accommodation.

Richard Bruton

Question:

103 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the concern among voluntary groups caring for persons with a disability that he is considering with-drawing funding for buildings to provide accommodation for such persons; and if his Department will continue to expand its support for accommodation for persons with a disability in accordance with Government promises.

Under the terms of the capital assistance scheme, assistance is available to approved voluntary housing bodies to provide housing, where 75 per cent of the units to be provided are to be used as full time residential accommodation for eligible categories of persons as follows: persons, including disabled persons, on or eligible for inclusion in the waiting lists of local authorities; homeless persons; and tenants and tenant purchasers of local authority houses surrendering their existing dwellings. Persons under the age of 18 years, except married couples or single parents with children, do not normally come within the scope of the scheme.

The scheme is not designed to provide nursing home or other accommodation where residents would require extensive medical, nursing or institutional type care; health boards are responsible for the provision of such accommodation.

The scheme is administered by local authorities who are responsible for determining, and certifying to my Department, that projects comply with the terms of the scheme. My Department's involvement with individual projects relate primarily to the provision of funding within the allocation available in the Public Capital Programme. No recent changes have been made in the terms of the scheme and none are at present proposed.

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