Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I acknowledge the commitment of Deputies Ellis and Finneran to this issue. I am answering on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Noel Ahern, who has another engagement.

Responsibility for the scheme of community supports for older people was transferred to the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs from the Department of Social and Family Affairs in June 2002. The scheme was established in the mid-1990s in response to a spate of burglaries on the homes of older people. It is based on the concept of contact with people at local level. For this reason, the funding was provided to voluntary and community organisations rather than grant-aiding individuals to assist and stimulate broader community support for older people.

The scheme is, therefore, administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Since its inception, funding in excess of €30 million has been awarded by the State to community and voluntary organisations to provide socially-monitored alarms and other security items for those members of the community in need of such equipment. Funding can be provided under the scheme for the once-off cost of installing socially monitored alarm systems, window locks, door locks and door chains designed to strengthen points of entry to the dwelling and security lighting. In 2004, a grant for smoke alarms was introduced.

The maximum grants available to individuals are €300 for socially monitored alarms, €150 for physical security equipment, €150 for security lighting and €50 for smoke alarms. Funding was provided at 90% of the cost of equipment between 1997 and 2003. In 2004, following a review of the scheme, the 90% limit on funding was abolished and replaced with individual maximum grants, as outlined. Community groups were being given quotes from suppliers ranging from €250 to as much as €500. Given that these products vary little, it seemed reasonable to limit the grant to €300 per individual. The aim of this measure is to encourage competition between suppliers in the interest of ensuring value for money for taxpayers and individual applicants. I am aware that a number of suppliers quoted under €300 for the installation of socially monitored alarms. Anyone availing of these quotes is, therefore, 100% grant aided under the scheme, effectively leaving the individual applicant with nothing to pay for his or her socially monitored alarm.

The changes introduced in 2004 have no implications for the overall funding available for the scheme and €2.8 million has been allocated to the scheme of community supports for older people in 2005. This constitutes a 17% increase on the 2004 scheme which received an allocation of €2.4 million. The scheme is advertised on an annual basis with a specified closing date. Given the nature of the scheme, the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs exercises a degree of flexibility regarding the closing date. After the closing date and in circumstances where an individual requires equipment urgently, the Department will accept additional applicants to the group's application during the period of processing.

The Department has also received a number of proposals, including one from Muintir na Tíre, regarding the facilitation of emergency cases. These will be considered when the guidelines come up for review for the 2006 scheme. While I accept there is occasionally a need for such facilitation, most groups appear to get by without major problems. Although the guidelines for the scheme call for a closing date, the Department is flexible. Many late applications have been accepted and in most cases groups have been facilitated. When such applications arise, the Department considers the circumstances case by case within the resources available and makes every effort, in co-operation with the voluntary groups, to facilitate such cases. To date, more than 200 applications have been approved and many groups have received their grants and are in a position to begin installing security equipment.

Deputies Finneran and Ellis 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 more than €30 million has been provided to assist older people under the 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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