Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 8 Oct 1998

Vol. 494 No. 6

Written Answers. - Housing Aid for the Elderly.

Seán Ryan

Ceist:

62 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of senior citizens currently on the Eastern Health Board waiting list for the home improvements for the elderly scheme; and if his Department will intervene with the health board to speed up the timeframe for carrying out the work and thus eliminate the waiting list in view of the fact than many of these have been waiting for two years or more. [18940/98]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt)

The housing aid scheme for the elderly is administered by the health boards on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Local Government. The objective of the scheme is to carry out repairs on houses of older people living in unfit and unsanitary conditions. Typical work carried out under the scheme includes the provision of water and sanitary facilities and repairs to fire places, windows and doors. Health boards generally use FÁS trainees or small contractors to complete the work.

The Eastern Health Board has advised me that the following is the current position in relation to applications for assistance under this scheme ——

Number of applicants on waiting list at present	Number of projects on hand at present
1,402	53

The board has indicated that in recent times it has had difficulties in being able to recruit trainees and to interest contractors in tendering for the small projects on offer under the scheme. In this connection, the board is carrying out an overall review of the operation of the scheme. The board hopes that with an increased allocation which was received from the Department of the Environment and Local Government in August, coupled with the review of the service, a greater outurn of projects and a reduction in the waiting lists can be achieved.