Vol. 572 No. 5
47 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government if he has been in contact with each local authority and health board to establish the number of persons currently awaiting approval under the dis abled person's grant scheme and the essential repairs for the elderly scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23476/03]
56 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the number of applications on hand in the various local authorities for the disabled person's grant; when he expects to provide the necessary funds to meet these requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23641/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 56 together.
The available information for disabled persons and essential repair grant schemes is published in my Department's annual and quarterly housing statistics bulletins. Local authorities were requested in early October to submit to the Department a comprehensive return on the level of activity and current situation on the schemes in their area as of 30 September, including the number of unapproved applications on hand. The responses of local authorities will be collated and made available as soon as possible.
With regard to the funding of the scheme, local authorities were notified of a combined allocation for the payment of disabled person's and essential repairs grants on 5 June 2003. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the level of funding to be provided for the schemes in their areas from within this allocation.
Authorities were requested to contact my Department if their allocation was either inadequate or surplus to their requirements to facilitate the possible reallocation of funds and to obtain optimum effectiveness from the funding available. Applications for additional funding are now being considered in this context and a decision will be conveyed to the authorities concerned as soon as possible.
With regard to the special housing aid for the elderly scheme, the number of applications in the hands of health boards as of 30 June 2003 was 8,661. This number covers applications at various stages in the process. The breakdown between health boards is shown in the following table:
|
Health Boards |
Number |
|
Eastern |
970 |
|
Midland |
924 |
|
Mid-west |
1,627 |
|
North-Eastern |
1,360 |
|
North-Western |
624 |
|
South-Eastern |
1,208 |
|
Southern |
950 |
|
Western |
998 |
