Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 6

Written Answers. - Care of the Elderly.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

260 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications for care of the elderly grants made to the Eastern Health Board for County Kildare for each of the years 1995 to 1998; the number completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7044/99]

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

The following are the details of the applications received and number of jobs completed from 1995 to 1998 by the Eastern Health Board, County Kildare area, under the special housing aid scheme for the elderly.

Year	No. of Applications (Approximate)	No. of Jobs Completed
1995	50	40
1996	39	32
1997	43	36
1998	138	33
Total	270	141

The number of applications received in 1998 more than trebled over the previous years and the Eastern Health Board had difficulty in responding to the level of applications because of the difficulty in getting building contractors to tender for the work as a result of the boom in the building industry. In late 1998, the Eastern Health Board employed a second team of builders to undertake the work directly. The Eastern Health Board has informed me that early indications are that the two teams should go a considerable way to meet the demands of the service in 1999.