I propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 253 together.
The administration of the disabled persons and essential repairs grant schemes is a matter for individual local authorities. The framework for the operation of the schemes is laid down in statutory regulations and, as far as practicable, is designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility to local authorities with regard to their administration. It is a matter for the authorities to decide on the level of funding to be provided for the scheme in their areas from within the allocations notified to them for this purpose by my Department and to manage the operation of the schemes within these allocations. My Department recoups to local authorities two thirds of their expenditure on the payment of individual grants and it is the responsibility of the authorities to fund their one third contribution from their own resources from amounts provided for that purpose in their annual 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 the authority without a corresponding revision of the authority's own provision for expenditure on the scheme.
Capital allocations totalling €65 million for expenditure in 2004 on the disabled persons and essential repairs grants were notified to local authorities on 20 May. They were advised to notify my Department if their allocation was either inadequate or surplus to their requirements in order to facilitate the reallocation of funds to obtain optimum effectiveness from the funding available. Kildare County Council received a capital allocation of €934,000 in May 2004. They subsequently sought an increase of €116,000, which was allocated to them on 9 September, to bring their total allocation for the payment of disabled persons and essential repairs grants in 2004 to €1,050,000. No further requests for increased funding have been received from the council in respect of these schemes.
