Vol. 495 No. 7
415 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason for a delay in granting a special aid for the elderly grant to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; his views on the backlog of applications within the South-Eastern Health Board for this scheme; the steps, if any, being taken to reduce the backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21319/98]
As the Deputy will be aware, the housing aid scheme for the elderly in the Kilkenny area is administered by the South-Eastern Health Board on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Local Government. I have asked the chief executive officer of the South-Eastern Health Board to investigate the case referred to by the Deputy as a matter of urgency and respond directly to him.
Funding for the scheme is provided by the Department of the Environment and Local Government and financial allocations to health boards are determined by a task force which is under the aegis of that Department. The South-Eastern Health Board has indicated that it is fully committed in endeavouring to meet the needs of people applying for this grant within the resources available.
