Eamon Gilmore
Question:183 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will increase the funding of disabled persons grants by 100%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25300/02]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
Local authorities receive a total combined annual capital allocation from my Department in respect of the disabled persons and essential repairs grant and house purchase and improvement loans. The breakdown of the allocation between the different schemes is a matter for individual authorities in the light of local circumstances.
Apart from these allocations, my Department's involvement with funding for the disabled persons grant schemes relates primarily to the recoupment of up to two-thirds of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. The grant scheme is funded at local authority level from the authorities own resources and within the amounts included for the purpose in the local authorities own estimates of expenditure. While it is open to a local authority to seek a higher allocation in the event of increased demand, an increased capital allocation would not, of itself, allow increased expenditure by a local authority on the disabled persons grant scheme without a corresponding upward revision of the authority's own provision for expenditure on the scheme.
Significant improvements have been made to the terms and conditions of the disabled persons grant scheme in recent years with a doubling of the effective maximum grant, from €10,158 in 1997 to €20,320 currently. In addition, the grant now covers 90% of the approved cost of the works compared to two-thirds in 1997. The recoupment rate from my Department to local authorities in respect of grants paid has also increased, from 50% to two-thirds, and a disabled persons new house grant of up to an effective maximum of €12,700 has been introduced. I propose to make a separate allocation to local authorities in respect of disabled persons grants in 2003 and the funding of the scheme will be kept under continuing review.