Community Support for Older People.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2004

Wednesday, 11 February 2004

Ceisteanna (237, 238)

Michael Ring

Ceist:

299 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the number of elderly people and community groups in each county which have received grants from his Department for personal alarms; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the personal alarms of many elderly people in the western region are now inoperable due to a change in telephone numbers; if his Department will provide funds to community groups to have these alarms re-programmed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4341/04]

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

300 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many personal alarms provided to the elderly and funded through grant aid from his Department are currently inoperable due to the recent change in phone numbers by ComReg; if he will provide funds to community groups to have these alarms re-programmed in view of the prohibitive cost facing many elderly people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4343/04]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Mr. N. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 299 and 300 together.

The purpose of the scheme of community support for older people is to improve the security and social support of vulnerable older people. This funding is provided by way of grant aid to voluntary groups and organisations that have undertaken to identify those elderly people in need of assistance under the scheme. My Department has not received any complaints of the nature described by the Deputies. In light of the Deputies' inquiry, my Department has contacted the main service providers who have advised that they have not encountered any particular difficulties with the changes in phone numbers. If the Deputies could furnish me with details of the individuals affected, I will arrange for their circumstances to be investigated.

Scheme of Community Support for Older People, 2003

County	No. of groups funded	Amount funded	No. of people funded
		€
Carlow	6	13,000	39
Cavan	19	84,750	311
Clare	10	66,620	142
Cork	52	230,094	693
Donegal	23	91,348	348
Dublin	35	1,090,929	3253
Galway	27	121,165	399
Kerry	14	38,900	116
Kildare	12	54,240	203
Kilkenny	9	54,265	161
Laois	6	32,998	114
Leitrim	11	45,263	153
Limerick	15	202,001	531
Longford	3	15,276	39
Louth	9	69,400	201
Mayo	22	99,412	310
Meath	14	70,500	263
Monaghan	8	14,442	55
Offaly	7	44,887	173
Roscommon	11	28,128	76
Sligo	18	44,856	164
Tipperary	18	72,274	219
Waterford	13	45,684	207
Westmeath	3	12,961	43
Wexford	16	46,735	133
Wicklow	11	166,938	423
TOTALS	392	2,857,066	8,769

Question No. 301 answered with QuestionNo. 104.

Question No. 302 answered with QuestionNo. 96.

Question No. 303 answered with Question No. 104.