Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 944: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if the Government will make the necessary funding available to the Health Service Executive Western Region in order that it will be able to sanction grant aid to elderly people for repairs to their houses under the special aid for the elderly scheme; and when the necessary funds will be made available to the Health Service Executive western region to enable it to begin dealing with grants for necessary repairs to the homes of elderly people. [14895/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The special housing aid for the elderly scheme is administered by a task force under the aegis of my Department and operated at local level by the Health Service Executive.

An initial allocation of €5 million for the scheme was notified to the western region, which includes County Galway, in February 2006 and it is a matter for the HSE directorate of services for older people, which has responsibility for the administration of the scheme, to apportion funding to a particular area. A further allocation of funding will be notified to the regions, following receipt of the mid-year returns, later in the year.