Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 Feb 1999

Vol. 501 No. 1

Written Answers. - Security of the Elderly.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

159 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the grant aid which was given in 1998 and 1999 to local community alert schemes; if this was administered by his Department or any other Department; and if these allocations are made on a national or regional basis and then reallocated by the voluntary organisations involved. [5486/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

My Department has, since 1996, operated the scheme of community support for older people, the purpose of which is to provide funding for initiatives to improve the security and social support of vulnerable older people. This funding is provided by way of grant to voluntary groups and organisations such as Community Alert which have undertaken to identify those elderly people in need of assistance under the scheme.

Under the scheme grants are available for small scale physical security equipment such as strengthening of doors and windows, window locks, door chains and locks and security lighting; and socially monitored alarm systems such as the "pendant" or "panic button" alarm system which is operated via the telephone and is worn around the wrist or neck.

When this Government came into office in June 1997, the multi-annual budgets for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 for this scheme had been set by the previous Government at £2 million each year. In 1997, I requested the Government to increase this £2 million for that year by £3 million to £5 million and that was agreed. Having reviewed the level of demand under the scheme last year I sought and obtained Government approval for the allocation of an additional £3 million to the scheme, bringing the total allocation in 1998 to £5 million.

Since its inception in 1996 a total of £12 million has been made available for this scheme and up to the end of 1998 some 56,000 people had been assisted. This means that since I came into office, this Government has spent £10 million on the scheme as opposed to £2 million spent by the previous Government.

Each of the ten regional offices of my Department which process grant applications under the scheme receive an annual allocation, based on the level of application for each region, from the total sum allocated to the scheme in each year's budget. The regional offices then allocate funding to individual groups in their area taking into account the merit of individual applications and the overall level of resources available.

In general, grants under the scheme cover from 50 per cent to 90 per cent of the once-off cost of the purchase and/or installation of the necessary security equipment. While the maximum grant available under the scheme is 90 per cent of the total cost, it is not possible to guarantee this level of funding in respect of all applications received.

Details of grants paid to voluntary groups and organisations under the scheme up to the end of 1998 are held in the Oireachtas Library for the information of Members. I am anxious to ensure the scheme addresses the security needs of the most vulnerable and that it provides this assistance in the most efficient and effective way possible. In this regard, my Department has, in consultation with the Departments of Finance and Health and Children, commissioned an independent review of the scheme which will consider how it is meeting its objectives and whether it is doing so in the most efficient and effective way possible. The final report from the consultants will be available shortly and the operation of the scheme in 1999 will be determined in the light of the outcome of this review.