Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
Seamus Kirk
Ceist:
296
Mr. Kirk
asked the
Minister for the Environment and Local Government
if he will introduce a special grants scheme to help with the provision of heating in the homes of the elderly, both private and local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[5886/01]
While there is no grants scheme specifically directed at assisting elderly persons to install heating in their own homes, there are a number of options available to assist lower income households and elderly persons in particular to secure necessary improvement works to their houses. These include the local authority house improvement loan scheme, the disabled person's and essential repairs grants scheme, the improvement works in lieu of local authority housing scheme and the task force on special housing aid for the elderly.
Under the task force, which is operated by the health boards, necessary basic repairs and improvements are carried out to the houses of elderly persons. In the interests of elderly persons, it has, since its inception, been administered with a minimum of formality and it has been an objective to avoid formal procedural and other requirements. Works are, in appropriate circumstances, carried out at no cost to the applicant. Last year I extended the terms of the scheme to include, where appropriate, the provision of heating systems.
I also introduced significant improvements to the terms and conditions of the disabled person's and essential repairs grants scheme since coming into office. The effective maximum grant available under the disabled person's grants scheme has increased from £8,000 to £16,000 with the grant covering up to 90% of the approved cost of the works compared to two thirds previously. In addition, I increased the maximum grant available under the essential repairs grants scheme from £1,800 to £7,500. I also allocated record funding of £8.658 million to the task force on special housing aid for the elderly in 2001. These improvements have allowed local authorities and health boards to extend the type of work that can be undertaken in individual cases, particularly in regard to the provision of heating systems.
The management, maintenance and improvement of their existing dwellings, including the installation of central heating, is the responsibility of local authorities to be defrayed from their own resources. However, where capital funding is provided under the remedial works scheme to assist authorities to carry out major essential works to designated estates, the installation of central heating in dwellings may form part of the works undertaken.
