Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a local authority (details supplied) enforces a claw-back clause on properties that have been improved with money provided under the disabled person's grants scheme; if he will report on the prevalence of this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22269/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The administration of the disabled person's grants scheme is delegated to local authorities within the framework laid down in statutory regulations; as far as practicable, this is designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility at local level. The majority of authorities have reviewed their schemes in recent years to streamline their operation and have introduced a variety of mechanisms to ensure that the available resources are targeted to those in most need. In a number of cases, including in the local authority referred to in the question, this includes a claw-back mechanism whereby the grant advanced is secured by way of a charge on the property for a certain number of years.

In the event of the property being sold or otherwise transferred within that period, a certain proportion of the grant advanced would fall to be repaid to the local authority. This is intended to ensure that works which are grant-aided serve the needs of a disabled person for a certain specified minimum period of time. The issue of claw-backs will be considered further within the overall context of the review of the operation of the disabled person's grants scheme which has been under way in my Department.