Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will supply the information requested in Parliamentary Question No. 247 of 2 March 2006. [17779/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The following tabular statement gives details of the combined capital allocation for disabled persons and essential repairs grants notified to each local authority, and the combined expenditure on the schemes in 2005 by each local authority.

Of the total expenditure of €64,643,589, €60,208,147 was in respect of disabled persons and essential repairs grants for private dwellings and €4,435,442 was in respect of works of adaptation to make local authority dwellings more suitable for a disabled member of the household. Expenditure on the grant schemes is funded by the two-thirds recoupment available from my Department together with the one third contribution from the revenue resources of the local authority.

The final out-turn reflects the expenditure by local authorities on approved applications. The initial allocations presented the local authorities' best estimate of the likely level of grant approvals during 2005. However, some grant approvals by local authorities may not subsequently be taken up by applicants. In addition, if there are delays in applicants completing the approved works, either due to a delay in getting contractors or for other reasons, the ultimate spend may arise in later years.

Local authorities were notified in June last of their combined capital allocation for 2005 and were requested on a number of occasions to notify the Department if it became evident that the allocation notified was likely to be inadequate or surplus to requirements. Increased allocations were approved for a number of local authorities. The Department stressed the need to ensure that, in the light of the high level of demand for these grants, the available allocation is expended in full and to ensure that the level of their approvals was such that would facilitate expenditure of the full allocation.