Housing Grants.

Tuesday, 25 October 2005

Questions (518)

John Perry

Question:

586 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding he has provided for the provision of housing for persons with disabilities and persons leaving sheltered accommodation in Counties Sligo and Leitrim in 2002, 2003, 2004 and to date 2005; if this funding will be increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30043/05]

View answer

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. N. Ahern)

Under my Department's voluntary housing capital assistance scheme, accommodation may be provided for persons with special needs such as the elderly, homeless or persons with disabilities. Funding of €238,642 was made available to Leitrim County Council in 2002 towards the provision of accommodation for persons with disabilities.

My Department also provides a combined allocation for local authorities for the administration of the disabled person's and the essential repairs grant schemes. The disabled person's grant scheme provides grant assistance for works necessary for the proper accommodation of disabled persons. The essential repairs grants scheme enables people in houses which cannot be made habitable in all respects at a reasonable costs, to have basic repairs carried out to them. The scheme is directed primarily at older persons living in poor housing conditions.

The funding provided for local authorities for the administration of these schemes is set out in the following table:

Expenditure on Disabled Persons Grant Scheme 2002-2005 (position at 31/8/05).

Local Authority	2002	2003	2004	2005 at 31/8/05	Total
	€	€	€	€	€
Leitrim County Council	1,260,305	1,300,488	1,112,474	474,788	4,148,055
Sligo County Council	777,087	470,753	196,912	105,585	1,550,337
Sligo Borough Council	330,905	457,320	114,605	111,403	1,014,233

Expenditure on Essential Repairs Grant Scheme 2002-2005 (position at 31/8/05).

Local Authority	2002	2003	2004	2005 at 31/8/05	Total
	€	€	€	€	€
Leitrim County Council	554,140	690,514	929,561	330,964	2,505,179
Sligo County Council	334,580	149,852	44,537	40,392	569,361
Sligo Borough Council	29,498	27,273	1,106	17,205	75,082

Question No. 587 answered with QuestionNo. 175.