Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 December 2004
82 Mr. Coveney asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of disabled persons grants his Department has allocated for each of the past three years; the number of such grants he expects to be allocated as a result of the budget 2005 allocation of €52 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32780/04]
View answer
The administration of the disabled persons grant scheme is a matter for local authorities and my Department is not involved in the allocation of individual grants. The number of disabled persons grants allocated by local authorities in the last three years is 4,883 in 2001, 5,932 in 2002 and 5,739 in 2003.
The sum of €52 million referred to in the question has been allocated for the payment of private housing grants and subsidies in 2005. This figure includes the provision for recoupment to local authorities of two thirds of their expenditure on disabled persons and essential repairs grants. Details of the amount available for recoupment in respect of these grants and of the total capital available to authorities for expenditure on the schemes will be made available in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2005 which will be published early in 2005. Due to the variations in the amount of individual grants paid, it is not possible to estimate the number of grants which will be paid in 2005.
