Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the 2011 housing aid for older people, housing adaption grants and mobility aid grants scheme in Louth County Council was suspended on 1 April 2011; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact that this is creating great hardship for elderly, ill and disabled people; if his further attention has been drawn to the fact there is a huge demand for these schemes and due to a decrease in financial support the suspension of the schemes will result in a deterioration of their health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10193/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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My Department's involvement with the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. The grant schemes are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The detailed administration of the schemes, including the assessment, approval of applications and the level of funding to be directed to each of the various grant measures is the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

To assess the overall level of demand for grant assistance under the suite of grants my Department requested local authorities to submit details of their funding requirements for 2011, broken down into contractual commitments in respect of works underway, value of applications currently on hand and value of anticipated applications in 2011, with a view to determining the allocations for this year as soon as possible after the publication of the 2011 Revised Estimates for Public Services.

Exchequer allocations totalling almost €64m were notified to local authorities under the grant schemes on 17 February 2011, giving a combined allocation of almost €79.5m. The allocation to Louth County Council for 2011 is €1.08m. This compares to an exchequer allocation in 2010 of €2.16m of which €2.14m was drawn down by year end, relating to the payment of 244 grants. So far, Louth County Council has not drawn down any of the 2011 allocation.