Vol. 501 No. 3
274 Mr. Collins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the qualifying criteria which must be met in order to qualify for assistance under the scheme for the elderly operated by all the health boards; and the type of work which comes within the scope of the scheme. [5768/99]
The special housing aid for the elderly scheme, administered by a task force under the aegis of my Department and operated by the health boards, was established to provide assistance to improve the housing conditions of elderly persons living alone in unfit or insanitary conditions.
Typically, the work undertaken would be necessary repairs to make a dwelling habitable for the lifetime of the occupant, such as repairs to chimney or fireplace, the provision of water and sanitary facilities, the repair of windows or doors, roof repairs, the provision of food storage facilities, etc.
Decisions to grant assistance in individual cases are the responsibility of the health boards at local level and it is a matter for each board to determine, within the funds available, the priority of individual cases on hands.
