The special housing aid for the elderly scheme is operated by the Health Service Executive in line with various guidelines issued from time to time by the task force which administers the scheme under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Under the scheme, aid is provided to improve the housing conditions of elderly persons living alone in unfit or unsanitary conditions and was extended to include the provision of suitable heating systems where found necessary in 2000. A provision of €15.6 million was allocated to the health boards for the operation of the scheme in 2004 and was claimed and paid to the boards in respect of expenditure incurred by them under the scheme in that year.