Michael Ring
Ceist:257 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will have work on a roof carried out under the special housing aid for the elderly scheme. [9844/02]
Written Answers. - Housing Aid for the Elderly.
As the Deputy is aware, the special housing aid scheme for the elderly is operated by the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Local Government. My Department has asked the chief executive officer of the Western Health Board to investigate the matter raised and reply direct to the Deputy as a matter of urgency.
Bernard Allen
Ceist:258 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps he proposes to take to ensure that health boards do not keep elderly people waiting for unacceptable lengths of time to receive decisions on their applications for housing aid; the number of people waiting for such decisions in the Southern Health Board area; and the duration of the delays involved. [9845/02]
As the Deputy will be aware, the special housing aid scheme for the elderly is operated by the health boards and the Eastern Regional Health Authority on behalf of the Department of the Environment and Local Government who fund it and also chair and service the task force which oversees the overall management of the scheme and draws up general guidelines as appropriate.
During 2001 the Southern Health Board received an allocation of £1 million, €1.27 million, from the Department of the Environment and Local Government to operate the scheme. A total of 934 jobs were completed on foot of that allocation. As at 31 December 2001, the board had 965 applications on hand.
The task force has advised the Southern Health Board that it has made an initial allocation of €1.27 million to the board for 2002. The board estimates, at present, that this allocation will clear the applications currently on hand. The average length of time, in the Southern Health Board, from receipt of application to approval is four months, with a further average four months from approval to completion of works. The average, therefore, from application to completion of works is eight months.
Questions Nos. 259 and 260 answered with Question No. 244.