Vol. 545 No. 1
238 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the level of grant aid that is available to individual applicants under the disabled persons grant scheme payable through local authorities; if moneys are recoupable from his Department; the rate of recoupment; if this rate of recoupment has changed in recent years; if there is a maximum level of recoupment for each approved grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29505/01]
The maximum grant payable by a local authority in respect of the adaptation or extension of an existing house to meet the needs of a disabled person is generally up to £16,000, subject to not exceeding 90% of the approved costs of the works. This attracts a two-thirds recoupment from my Department, up to a maximum £10,666, which was introduced in the 2000 budget in respect of work commenced on or after 6 December 2000. The recoupment rate had previously been increased, where work commenced on or after 6 December 1998, from one-half (or £4,000), to two-thirds (or £8,000).
Under the disabled persons new house adaptation grant, introduced in the 2000 budget, a grant of generally up to £10,000 is available from local authorities to assist disabled persons with the expenditure incurred in making necessary modifications to a new house of less than 12 months old, where works commenced on or after 6 December 2000 and the applicant had not previously obtained a disabled person's new house grant. My Department recoups two-thirds of the grant paid, up to a maximum of £6,666. It is, however, open to local authorities to pay a higher level of grant, subject to not exceeding 90% of the approved cost of the works.
