Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 260: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the support in the form of a grant which is available for an old age person living alone with no means other than their pension, who requires their house to be rewired. [35832/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The essential repairs grant scheme is designed to enable elderly people whose houses cannot be made habitable in all respects at a reasonable cost to have basic repairs carried out. Decisions in individual cases are a matter for the relevant local authority.

The special housing aid for the elderly scheme was established to provide assistance, by way of necessary emergency repairs, to improve conditions in the existing house of elderly persons living alone in unfit or unsanitary conditions. The scheme is administered by a task force under the aegis of my Department and is operated by the Health Service Executive. Decisions in individual cases are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. Some 4,414 jobs were completed under this scheme in 2004 at a cost of €10.8 million.