Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1421: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the €18 million unspent on the disabled persons grant scheme nationally in 2004, he has put in place a monitoring system throughout the local authorities which will enable him to reallocate funds from authorities which will not use up their allocation in 2005 to authorities which have already spent their budgets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25896/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The capital provision for the payment of disabled persons and essential repairs grants in 2005 is €70 million. Local authorities were notified on 7 June last of their combined capital allocations for these schemes and were requested to notify the Department if it became evident that the allocation notified was likely to be inadequate or surplus to requirements. My Department wrote to local authorities in August stressing the need to ensure that, in the light of the high level of demand for these grants, the available allocation is expended in full. Authorities were again requested to examine the levels of payments and approvals on both schemes at the end of August with a view to establishing the adequacy or otherwise of their 2005 allocations.

Where the local authority is of the view that the allocation notified to them is likely to either be inadequate or surplus to their requirement, they were requested to so advise my Department without delay to facilitate reallocation to those authorities seeking increased allocations. My Department is examining the responses to this request and will continue to monitor expenditure patterns for the schemes over the remainder of the year with the aim of ensuring the maximum utilisation of available resources for the schemes.

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 1422: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of local authorities in the State which have in place means-testing for the disabled persons grant scheme. [25906/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The administration of the disabled persons grant scheme is delegated to local authorities within the framework laid down in statutory regulations. As far as is practicable, this is designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility at local level. The majority of local authorities have reviewed their schemes over recent years in order to streamline their operation and have introduced a variety of mechanisms to ensure that the available resources are targeted to those in most need, including medical prioritisation, means testing or cost control. My Department does not have detailed information or the number of local authorities which currently have means-testing in place. The issue of means testing is being considered within the overall context of the review by my Department of the operation of the disabled persons grant scheme.