Vol. 475 No. 4
170 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for the Environment the funding which will be provided to the North-Eastern Health Board in 1997 for the housing aid scheme for the elderly; the number of applications currently on hand; the level of funding required to clear the backlog of applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5115/97]
The initial allocation for 1997 will shortly be determined and notified to the health boards by the task force which, under the aegis of my Department, administers the scheme of special housing aid for the elderly.
On the basis of the most recent returns furnished by the North-Eastern Health Board, a total of 511 applications, with an estimated cost of £623,030, were on hand on 31 December 1996.
