Vol. 476 No. 7
216 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for the Environment if he will reassess the housing aid for the elderly scheme administered by health boards in view of the backlog of applications with delays of one year for even minor repairs. [8361/97]
The special housing aid for the elderly scheme, administered by a task force under the aegis of my Department and operated by the health boards, was established to provide assistance to improve the housing conditions of elderly persons living alone in unfit or insanitary conditions. In recognition of the valuable work being done, funding for the scheme has been maintained at a high level. The provision in 1997 is £4.132 million, compared to £4 million in 1996 and £3 million in 1995, and will enable health boards to continue a high level of activity under the scheme.
The operation of the scheme is continuously monitored and assessed by the task force and, in making annual financial allocations to health boards, due cognisance is given to returns by the boards of activity under the scheme and the number of applications on hands within each health board area. It is a matter for each board to determine, within the funds available, the priority of individual cases on hands and to consider which applications should receive assistance in 1997. I am not in a position to further increase the provision for 1997.
