Vol. 522 No. 2
247 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications in County Mayo approved for heating systems under the special housing aid for the elderly scheme, categorising the applications into insulation, heat retention or heating system approvals. [18299/00]
248 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will investigate when the criteria was changed with regard to the special housing for the elderly scheme and heating systems in view of the fact that several replies have issued to applicants saying that heating systems were now of a low priority. [18300/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 248 together.
As the Deputy is aware, the housing aid scheme for the elderly is operated in the Mayo area by the Western Health Board on behalf of the Department of Environment and Local Government. As the information requested by the Deputy, in relation to numbers of applications, is not available in my Department, I have asked the chief executive officer of the Western Health Board to respond to the Deputy's inquiry as a matter of urgency.
I understand that the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government with responsibility for housing and urban renewal, earlier this year, in announcing an increased allocation for the scheme, referred to the fact that such increased funding should provide scope to extend the type of work undertaken in individual cases, particularly in regard to the provision of heating systems. I am having enquiries made of the chief executive officer of the Western Health Board in relation to the operation of the housing aid scheme in the board's area with particular reference to assistance towards heating systems and I will communicate with the Deputy in the matter as soon as these inquiries are completed.
