Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 305: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of funding allocated to Kildare County Council in 2004 and 2005 for disabled persons' grants; the amounts drawn down by Kildare County Council in 2004 and to date in 2005; the amount expected to be drawn down in the remainder of 2005; the amount provided by Kildare County Council from its own funds to match funding from his Department in the council's estimates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32072/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Kildare County Council was advised of a combined capital allocation for disabled persons' and essential repairs grants of €1,050,000 in 2004 and €1,500,000 in 2005. Kildare County Council's expenditure in respect of those two grant schemes in 2004 was €1,092,053. Expenditure in 2005 in respect of those two schemes stood at €964,036 at the end of September 2005, according to a return submitted to my Department by the council. The council has indicated to the Department that it expects to spend its full allocation in 2005.

My Department recoups up to two thirds of the expenditure under the disabled person's and essential repairs grants scheme to local authorities. Recoupment to Kildare County Council in respect of disabled person's and essential repairs grants was €1,217,779 in 2004, some of which would relate to grants paid in 2003, and stood at €509,972 on 31 October 2005. It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to fund their one-third contribution from their own resources from amounts provided for that purpose in their annual estimates of expenditure. Based on the combined capital allocation notified to the council, that would imply a contribution from revenue resources from the council of at least €350,000 in 2004 and €500,000 in 2005.