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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 5 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 3

Written Answers. - Services for People with Disabilities.

Brian O'Shea

Ceist:

699 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his proposals to deal with the problems in Waterford County Council and in Waterford City Council in the funding of disabled persons' grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20410/02]

Local authorities receive a total combined annual capital allocation from my Department in respect of the disabled persons and essential repairs grant schemes and house purchase and improvement loans. The allocation of funds between the various schemes is a matter for individual authorities in the light of local circumstances. My Department's funding of the disabled persons grant scheme relates to the recoupment of up to two thirds of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. The grant scheme is also funded at local authority level from the authorities' own resources and within the amounts included for that purpose in the local authorities' own estimates of expenditure. While it is open to a local authority to seek a higher allocation from my Department in the event of increased demand under the scheme, an increased capital allocation would not, of itself, allow increased expenditure by a local authority without a corresponding upward revision of the authority's own provision for expenditure under the scheme.

In recent years, the amount of recoupment payable by my Department to local authorities has increased significantly. Since 2 December 1998, the effective maximum grant available under the scheme doubled from €10,158 to €20,320 and the rate of recoupment to local authorities increased from 50% of grants paid to two thirds of grants paid. In line with this increase in the Department's provision for the disabled persons grant scheme, the recoupment to Waterford City and Waterford County Councils has also increased substantially. Last year the Department recouped to Waterford City Council €270,236 in respect of 39 disabled persons grants compared to €51,155 in respect of 16 grants in 1998. Waterford County Council was recouped €287,215 in respect of 60 disabled persons grants in 2001 compared with €99,892 in respect of 49 grants in 1998.
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