Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 April 2004
195 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will allocate funding to cover the cost of making adaptations to privately owned houses belonging to disabled persons; and if he will fast track the process in view of the fact that some persons have been waiting for over a year and a half. [12208/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra
Assistance towards the adaptation of houses for the proper accommodation of a member of the household who is either physically handicapped or suffering from severe mental handicap or mental illness is available under the disabled persons grant scheme. The administration of the scheme, including the processing of individual applications, is a matter for individual local authorities. The framework for the operation of the scheme is laid down in statutory regulations and, as far as practicable, is designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility to local authorities.
Capital funding of €65 million has been provided for the payment of disabled persons and essential repairs grants in 2004. Returns have now been received from all local authorities detailing their expenditure on the scheme in 2003 and their estimated requirements for 2004 and individual allocations are now being finalised. It is a matter for authorities to decide on the level of funding to be provided for the disabled persons grant scheme in their areas from within the allocations notified to them for these purposes by my Department.
My Department recoups to authorities two thirds of their expenditure on the payment of individual grants. It is the responsibility of the authorities to fund the remaining one third from their own resources from amounts provided for that purpose in their annual estimates of expenditure. The improvements which have been made in recent years to the maximum disabled persons grant and the level of recoupment available have resulted in increased levels of demand with expenditure on the scheme increasing from €13 million for 2,455 grants in 1998 to €52.6 million for 5,932 grants in 2002. Figures for 2003 are currently being compiled and will be published shortly.
In line with this significant increase in my Department's capital provision for the scheme, recoupment costs have also increased from €6.3 million for 2,512 grants in 1998 to almost €37.5 million for 6,153 grants in 2003. In that time the maximum grant has doubled from €10,158 to €20,320. These significant increases in the levels of funding provided are a clear indication of the Government's commitment to the disabled persons grant scheme.
