Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Nov 1997

Vol. 483 No. 3

Written Answers. - Disabled Person's Grants.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

283 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government whether he has satisfied himself that the time taken by local authorities to evaluate applications for disabled persons' grants and the guidelines in relation to this as laid down by his Department take sufficient cognisance of the vulnerability of the applicants and the need to promptly process these applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20413/97]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

The disabled persons' grant scheme is administered by the housing authorities who have responsibility for deciding the level of funding to be provided for the scheme in their area, the level of grants in individual cases and the relative priority to be afforded to individual applicants.

My Department has drawn the attention of housing authorities to the need to provide a satisfactory service in terms of processing grant applications, approval of grants, the level of grant being paid and the discharge of claims for payment. I believe that, in general, authorities provide a satisfactory service but any instance where delay has occurred might, in the first instance, be taken up with the particular housing authority concerned.