Vol. 554 No. 5
1484 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of applications under the housing aid for the elderly scheme in each health board area; and the average waiting period between the date of application and the sanctioning of the grant. [15972/02]
1521 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of people on the waiting list under the special housing aid for the elderly scheme in each of the health board areas. [16397/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1484 and 1521 together.
On the basis of the most recent returns available from the health boards, who administer the scheme of special housing aid for the elderly, the information requested in relation to applications on hands in each health board area is as follows:
|
Health Board |
Applications Received in 2001 |
Applications on hands at 30 June 2002 |
|
Eastern |
1,315 |
1,183 |
|
Midland |
641 |
1,077 |
|
Mid-Western |
1,236 |
1,385 |
|
North-Eastern |
1,309 |
1,582 |
|
North-Western |
1,801 |
893 |
|
Health Board |
Applications Received in 2001 |
Applications on hands at 30 June 2002 |
|
South-Eastern |
1,288 |
1,208 |
|
Southern |
1,897 |
904 |
|
Western |
1,606 |
1,472 |
|
Total |
11,093 |
9,704 |
1485 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has had discussions with the Minister for Health and Children to amalgamate the disabled persons grant and the housing aid for the elderly grant and to have either the health board or the local authority administer the amalgamated schemes; the number of persons waiting on 1 October 2002 for the housing aid and the disabled persons grant in each local authority area; and the average waiting period for each application. [15975/02]
My colleague, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Callely, has recently established a working group on the needs of older people, which includes a representative from my Department. While the operation of the disabled persons grant scheme and the housing aid for the elderly grant scheme has been discussed in the working group, there are no proposals to amalgamate the schemes or to have either the health board or the local authority administer any amalgamated scheme.
In relation to the disabled persons grant, I understand from inquiries made by my Department with local authorities that over 3,000 grants were paid in the period 1 January to 31 July 2002. Some 4,500 applications were approved at that date while local authorities had a further 6,700 applications on hands. Health boards manage the housing aid for the elderly grant scheme and it is understood that just over 9,700 applications were on hands at the end of June 2002. The average waiting period for each scheme would vary for each local authority and health board and this information is not available in my Department.
