Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 8 together.

The community support for older people scheme provides grants to assist communities in improving the security of their older members. The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department. It provides for maximum individual grants as follows: €300 for the once-off installation of socially monitored alarms, €150 for locks for doors and windows, €150 for security lighting, and €50 for smoke alarms. People with disabilities who are over 65 are included in the scheme, but there are no plans at present to extend it further. A sum of €2.8 million has been allocated to the scheme for 2005, an increase of 17% on the 2004 allocation of €2.4 million.

Funding was provided at 90% of the cost of equipment between 1997 to 2003. In 2004, following a review of the scheme, this 90% limit on funding was abolished and replaced with individual maximum grants, as outlined earlier. Grant levels were fixed by the Department on the basis of the grants sought and paid out in the previous year. Smoke alarms were added to the list of qualifying equipment in 2004.

Deputies will appreciate that the scheme has been running for the greater part of a decade and has supplied security equipment to many older people. Since 1997, in excess of €30 million has been provided to assist older people under this scheme. Personal security depends on a range of factors and this scheme makes a valuable contribution to the security requirements of eligible older people.

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