Vol. 562 No. 2
229 Ms Fox asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department will continue to adequately fund the disabled person's grant scheme in conjunction with local authorities; if his attention has been drawn to any review of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5762/03]
Notification of capital allocations to local authorities in respect of the payment of disabled person's and essential repairs grants in 2003 will issue as soon as all authorities have submitted their expenditure outturns on the schemes for 2002 as well as estimates for 2003. As the administration of the disabled person's grant scheme is the responsibility of individual local authorities it is a matter for them to decide on the level of funding to be provided for the scheme in their areas from within these allocations. My Department also recoups to local authorities two thirds of their expenditure on the payment of individual grants and it is the responsibility of authorities to fund the balance from their own resources from amounts provided for that purpose in their annual estimates of expenditure.
The significant improvements made in recent years to the maximum disabled person's grant and the level of recoupment available have resulted in increased levels of activity with expenditure on the scheme increasing from €15.8 million in 1999 to €41.7 million in 2001. The figures for 2002 are currently being compiled. In line with this increase in the Department's capital provision for the scheme, recoupment costs have also increased significantly from €6.3 million for 2,512 grants in 1998 to almost €31.5 million for 5,070 grants in 2002. This very significant increase in the level of funding provided is a clear indication of the Government's commitment to the disabled person's grant scheme.
The operation of the disabled person's grants scheme is, at present, being reviewed in my Department.
