Jack Wall
Question:329 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the plans, if any, he has to give 100 per cent grant assistance to persons claiming disabled person's grant from the local authorities. [16102/98]
Written Answers. - Disabled Person's Grants.
Local authorities are responsible for the payment of disabled person's grant. Under the terms of the disabled person's grant scheme my Department recoups to local authorities 50 per cent of each grant paid to a maximum of £4,000. The grant paid by the local authority may be up to two-thirds of the approved cost of the works in the case of private houses and up to the full cost of the works in the case of houses let by the local authority.
I am, in the context of the Government's Action Programme for the Millennium, examining possible options to extend the range of measures currently available to assist low income households in securing necessary improvement works to their housing, including the disabled person's grant scheme. Pending completion of this examination and decisions arising from it, I do not propose to comment on the possible outcome.