Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2012
451. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to ensure that adequate funds are available to the local authorities to meet requirements arising from disabled persons grant applications in the forthcoming year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46526/12]
View answerMy Department remains committed to providing financial assistance to older people and people with a disability who wish to carry out essential repairs or extensions/adaptations to their homes. Over the period 2008 to 2011, over €337 million was paid out in grants in respect of approved adaptation works and extensions. Over 48,000 individual applicants received grant assistance over that period.
The capital allocations to local authorities, including allocations under the grant scheme, will be determined in the light of the overall budgetary provision for the housing programme in 2013. As part of the preparatory arrangements for the grants programme for next year, my Department will be contacting each local authority shortly to ascertain the level of demand under each of the grant schemes and to quantify the level of revenue or other funding to be made available by the local authority for the schemes in 2013.
