Housing Grants.

Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Questions (399, 400)

Noel Ahern

Question:

486 Deputy Noel Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount, in relation to the €79.5 million allocated in 2009 to local authorities for grants in respect of older people and people with disability to private house grants, which has been drawn down by each local authority to date in 2009; the latest estimate from each local authority regarding the amount expected to be drawn down in 2009; if amounts have been transferred to other local authorities; if so, the details of same; the local authorities which are accepting applications for this scheme; the number of local authorities which have notified him of the closure of the scheme; if the differing rules or conditions being imposed by local authorities fall under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36761/09]

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Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

502 Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the early reintroduction of disabled persons grants, which have been suspended by the various local authorities due to lack of funds, features in the Revised Programme for Government; if the need to restore such funding has been recognised as a priority having particular regard to meeting the requirements of the elderly or people with disabilities who might find themselves capable of providing home based accommodation instead of costly institutional care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37164/09]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 502 together.

Allocations totalling €79.562 million for 2009 were notified to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grant for Older People and People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme and the older Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes on 7 May 2009. While my Department has not been formally advised of any local authorities having discontinued the schemes in their areas, they are very heavily subscribed and available funding has been heavily committed in many areas. Having regard to this, and the continued priority which the Government attaches to the schemes, and following an evaluation of the ongoing level of demand for grants, the level of expenditure to date and the capacity of local authorities to process and approve additional applications in the current year, I approved a supplementary allocation of approximately €12.5 million to some 26 local authorities on 12 October, 2009.

Over the period 1 January 2009 to 30 September 2009, a total of €48.214 million has been recouped by my Department to local authorities in respect of the Exchequer contribution towards some 7,760 individual grant payments under the various grant measures.

A detailed breakdown, by local authority, of the initial and supplementary allocations for 2009, the number of grant payments and the amount recouped is set out in the table.

Local Authority	Initial Allocation 2009*	No. of Grant Payments	Amount Recouped**	Supplementary Allocation 2009*
	€		€	€
Carlow County Council	1,357,500	193	1,034,769.00	560,625
Cavan County Council	1,312,500	90	778,115.00	125,000
Clare County Council	1,490,000	127	1,069,564.00	663,750
Cork County Council	6,285,000	548	4,078,910.00	791,250
Donegal County Council	4,820,000	712	2,982,461.00
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council	2,160,000	184	1,369,104.00	125,000
Fingal County Council	1,795,000	199	1,414,497.00	663,750
Galway County Council	2,074,000	283	1,031,608.00
Kerry County Council	2,950,000	393	2,187,277.00	663,750
Kildare County Council	1,870,000	230	1,436,055.00	663,750
Kilkenny County Council	930,000	64	600,507.00	125,000
Laois County Council	1,910,000	168	1,290,333.00	157,313
Leitrim County Council	1,790,000	228	1,203,234.00
Limerick County Council	1,640,000	160	762,426.00
Longford County Council	727,500	105	550,420.00	523,500
Louth County Council	2,067,500	176	1,502,927.00	581,250
Mayo County Council	2,775,834	522	2,159,861.00	663,750
Meath County Council	1,000,000	131	798,753.00
Monaghan County Council	2,177,500	109	946,214.00
North Tipperary County Council	1,790,000	150	1,011,256.00	175,000
Offaly County Council	1,465,000	99	834,586.00	484,313
Roscommon County Council	1,910,000	114	723,256.00	395,625
Sligo County Council	560,000	87	348,507.00	663,750
South Dublin County Council	4,545,000	436	3,220,442.16	125,000
South Tipperary County Council	1,530,000	125	1,185,237.00	663,750
Waterford County Council	1,707,500	77	769,606.00
Westmeath County Council	1,660,000	5	16,244.00
Wexford County Council	2,325,000	218	1,352,211.00	663,750
Wicklow County Council	1,230,000	103	882,141.00	663,750
Cork City Council	2,112,500	70	592,008.00	663,750
Dublin City Council	14,400,000	1,405	8,793,976.00	663,750
Galway City Council	1,270,000	16	121,114.00
Limerick City Council	940,000	152	743,754.00	457,500
Waterford City Council	512,500	38	191,193.00	250,000
Sligo Borough Council	472,750	43	231,506.00	300,000
	79,562,584	7,760	48,214,072.16	12,477,626

*Overall allocations combining the Exchequer contribution and co-funding provided by local authorities

**Payments are in respect of the Exchequer contribution only.

The suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability are administered by the local authorities and all matters relating to compliance with the terms and conditions of the schemes, the processing and approval of applications and the payment of grants to individual applicants are the responsibility of the relevant local authority. Local authorities have discretion in determining the eligibility of works or adaptations for grant assistance, having regard to the particular needs of individual applicants. In order to ensure that the available funding is spent as effectively as possible, local authorities are asked to target the grant assistance at essential works and to prioritise applications on the basis of the medical needs of applicants.

My Department continually monitors expenditure by local authorities under the schemes with a view to reallocating the available funding in the event of any savings arising in a particular local authority.