Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 959: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the special housing aid for the elderly scheme is a means tested grant scheme; if so, the qualifying income levels for it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3127/07]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme is administered by the HSE on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The primary aim of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to older people who reside alone and who, from their own resources are not in a position to carry out urgent necessary repairs to their own homes. Basically, aid is made available for repairs to make a dwelling suitable for the older person, by providing a warm, safe, secure and healthy environment for the lifetime of the older person, thereby enabling older people to continue living in their own homes for as long as possible.

The type of works carried out include the following: replacement of windows/doors, roof repairs, provision of heating and sanitary facilities and necessary electrical works. Applications for Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme are assessed by HSE personnel. Whilst the means of the applicant and spouse/ partner may be considered, eligibility for this scheme is not based on means only — the following are the guidelines for the scheme:

Be aged 65 years or over

Be living on their own or with another older person or person with a disability

Be living in unfit or unsanitary conditions

Have no able bodied person available to carry out essential repairs

The Housing Aid Scheme applies to privately owned accommodation only.

Due to the nature of the client group, their individual circumstances and the extent of need, considerable latitude is taken in applying the guidelines. The works that may receive grant aid may be undertaken by private contractors engaged by the applicant or by voluntary organizations working in conjunction with HSE staff.

The budget allocation received by the HSE from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has been increasing substantially year on year over the past number of years. In 2006 the Task Force on Special Housing Aid for the Elderly in the Department allocated a total of €17.02 million for the operation of the scheme by the HSE regions. This has allowed the HSE to increase the number of grants being made available under the scheme.