Housing Adaptation Grants

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 May 2010

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

Questions (328, 329, 330)

Pat Breen

Question:

356 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding provided to Clare County Council under the housing adaption grant for people with a disability scheme in each of the past five years to 2009; the amount allocated for 2010; the number of houses in County Clare adapted under this scheme in each of those years; the number that will be adapted under the scheme in Clare in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21557/10]

Pat Breen

Question:

357 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding provided to Clare County Council under the mobility aids housing grant scheme in each of the past five years to 2009; the amount allocated for 2010; the number of houses in County Clare adapted under this scheme in each of those years; the number that will be adapted under the scheme in County Clare in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21558/10]

Pat Breen

Question:

358 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding provided to Clare County Council under the housing aid for older people grant scheme in each of the past five years to 2009; the amount allocated for 2010; the number of houses in County Clare benefiting under this scheme in each of those years; the number that will benefit under the scheme in County Clare in 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21559/10]

Written answers

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 to 358, inclusive, together.

My Department's involvement with the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. The grant schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The new suite of grants replaced the discontinued Disabled Persons Grant Scheme, the Essential Repairs Grant Scheme and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme, administered by the Health Service Executive.

It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed to each of the various grant measures from within the allocations notified to them by my Department and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation. Details of the annual Exchequer allocations to Clare County Council and the number of grants paid under each scheme for the period 2005 to 2009 are set out in the table below. Data for 2005 and 2006 relate to the discontinued Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes. Data for 2007 onwards include the new Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for People with a Disability, the Housing Aid for Older People and the Mobility Aids Grant Schemes.

Suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability

Year	Allocation	Housing Adaptation Grant No. paid	Housing Aid for Older People No. paid	Mobility Aids Grant No. paid	Disabled Persons Grant No. paid	Essential Repairs Grant No. paid
	€
2005	1,018.770	—	—	—	101	46
2006	846,596	—	—	—	77	32
2007	857,560	—	—	—	86	31
2008	2,100,790	28	66	15	149	39
2009	1,652,000	71	49	23	36	5

On 5 March 2010 my Department notified Clare County Council of an Exchequer allocation of €2.5 million for the grant schemes this year.