Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 November 2013
451. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will advise as to the Dublin City Council budget for the housing adaptations grant with effect from January 2014; if the budget allocation will be increased on the 2013 allocation so as to meet the backlog of applications for this grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50098/13]
View answer452. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if the budget allocation for housing modifications for persons with a disability living in council accommodation will be increased in the coming year in order to deal with the substantial backlog of applications; if he will outline the budget for Dublin City Council for 2013 and 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50099/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together.
The Abridged Estimate for my Department, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in Expenditure Report 2014, provides some €28.6 million in respect of the suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. The Estimates provision will be supplemented by the recently announced €10 million in additional funding for this measure, giving an overall provision in 2014 of €38.6 million, some €4.3 million more than the initial Exchequer allocation in 2013.
My Department also provides funding to local authorities for a range of measures to improve the quality and standard of the social housing stock, including the energy retrofitting of older properties and the provision of adaptations and extensions to meet the specific needs of tenants. An allocation of € 300,000 was provided to Dublin City Council this year in respect of extensions and adaptations to tenanted properties. I intend to announce details of the capital allocations to all local authorities under both measures in early 2014.
