Vol. 564 No. 1
78 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the steps he proposes to take to deal with the situation where elderly people and the sick requiring essential repairs are failing to get permission to carry out these repairs to their homes in view of the financial crisis facing the disabled person's grant scheme and the housing aid for the elderly scheme. [8813/03]
298 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will investigate the possibility of entering into dialogue with his colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, with a view to introducing an improved task force home improvement scheme for the elderly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8497/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 298 together.
The operation of the disabled person's grant scheme is at present under review in my Department. On completion of the review, which I envisage being finalised in the next few months, I will be in a position to determine the changes, if any, required to the regulations governing the scheme. 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. 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 special housing aid for the elderly scheme, which is available to elderly persons, provides assistance by way of necessary emergency repairs to improve conditions in the existing housing of elderly persons living alone in unfit or unsanitary conditions.
Additional informationFunding for the scheme, which is operated at local level by the health boards in line with the various guidelines issued from time to time by the task force which administers the scheme, under the aegis of my Department, has increased significantly in the past five years, with €11.5 million provided in 2003 as against €6.3 million in 1998. The number of jobs has also increased significantly from 3,302 in 1998 to 4,998 in 2002. Funding for the scheme is provided through the national lottery and an initial allocation of €11 million for 2003 has been notified to the health boards. A further allocation of the balance –€500,000 – for 2003, based on activity under the scheme, will be notified to the health boards later in the year. 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 cases on hand. I am satisfied that the scheme is kept under appropriate review by the task force and I have no proposals to amend it.
Given the stark statistics of 10,263 applicants as at 31 December 2002 under the housing aid for the elderly scheme and more than 11,000 applicants awaiting consideration under the disabled person's grant scheme, does the Minister of State agree that if this is a litmus test of his achievement following seven years of an economic boom, the Government has failed the most needy and vulnerable in our communities? Each time I raise the issue in the House, I am sick hearing that the scheme is under consideration. When will the review and consideration of amalgamating the DPG and the housing aid for the elderly scheme be completed? Some 21,000 elderly people, some just looking for a few slates on the roof, are being told the money is not available. Surely that is an example of the Minister of State's total failure in this whole area where the most vulnerable are suffering as a result of gross mismanagement.
It was announced only a few weeks ago that a review was taking place, therefore I do not understand how the Deputy is sick hearing about it. There has been enormous demand on all these schemes in recent years. Millions of pounds have been invested in the scheme in recent years. An increase from €16 million to €52 million over three years is enormous. We cannot meet all the demands, even though we have done so up to now. While the Department pays two thirds of the funding, there is a responsibility on local authorities to provide one third of the funding. Some of them have difficulties in this regard. We are considering suggestions they have put forward about how to amend the scheme. The review, which has been going on for some weeks, will probably take two or three months more.
We are approaching Easter and the Minister of State's answer is a Pontius Pilate act. He is washing his hands of his responsibility. How does he expect local authorities to fund one third of the amount required under the regulations when his Department has, in effect, cut back the financial allocations this year to local government? To blame local authorities for this crisis in one of the most needy areas is washing his hands of his responsibility.
If local authorities want power they must make provision for funding.
They need money.
In regard to this grant scheme, two thirds of the money is provided by the Department and local authorities are asked to provide one third of the funding. If they want the Department to take over complete responsibility they might as well go out of business.
I have a letter from a 75 year old woman who has eight slates missing from her roof. She has been told by her local authority it does not have the money to carry out the repair work. Can the Minister of State stand over that attitude to the elderly in our community? There is no point saying local authorities have responsibility. His Department has failed to supply the financial resources for the most needy in society.
The Deputy is making a statement. He must give the Minister of State a few seconds to respond.
Will the Minister of State make a decision on the future of the DPG and the housing aid for the elderly schemes?
A final reply from the Minister of State.
If there are eight slates missing from a roof, the task force on the housing aid for the elderly scheme will have responsibility for the work, not the local authority. This scheme is administered locally by the health boards. Perhaps the Deputy is not looking in the right direction.
That is what my question is about.
Allow the Minister of State to continue, please.
Perhaps the Deputy will encourage his local authority to use the essential repairs grant scheme. As of now, it must be one of the few local authorities which is not using that valuable scheme.
Our allocation has been slashed.
