Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 866: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of funding made available to Meath County Council in each of the years 2002 to date in 2006 for the disabled persons grant scheme; the amount of unspent money returned by Meath County Council for the same periods; the reason for this unspent money being returned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26314/06]

Damien English (Meath, Fine Gael)
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Question 867: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of applications received for the disabled person grant scheme by Meath County Council in each of the years 2002 to date in 2006; the number of applications granted and refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26315/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 866 and 867 together.

The tabular statement gives details of the combined capital allocation for disabled persons and essential repairs grants notified to Meath County Council annually from 2002 to 2005, the combined expenditure on the schemes in each of those years by the local authority, and the combined capital allocations for both schemes notified to the local authority in 2006. Details of the numbers of disabled persons and essential repair grant applications received, approvals issued, and grants paid over the same period are also indicated.

Over the period 2002 to 2005 the capital allocation to Meath County Council for these schemes was €7,707,000 and actual expenditure notified to the Department by the local authority was €7,786,237. This represents 1,042 projects completed, which allow that number of disabled and elderly persons to remain in their own homes and enjoy improved housing conditions which many of them would otherwise have been unable to afford. The capital allocation notified to Meath County Council for 2006 is €2,043,000 and details of activity on the schemes this year will not be available until early 2007.

The combined capital allocation to local authorities for the disabled persons and essential repairs grant schemes represents not a capital grant, but the total amount which authorities are authorised to spend on the schemes in the year in which the allocation is made. Expenditure on the grant schemes is funded by the two-thirds recoupment available from my Department, together with one-third contribution from the revenue resources of the local authority. The administration of the disabled persons grant scheme is a matter for the local authority concerned within the framework laid down in the regulations, which as far as is practicable, is designed to give an appropriate degree of flexibility at local level.

My Department requests that each local authority examines the level of payments and approvals on both schemes throughout the year with a view to establishing the adequacy or otherwise of their allocations. Requests for increases from authorities whose allocations are proving inadequate are dealt with in the context of the surplus funding available from authorities whose allocation may be surplus to their requirements. Initial requests for funding from local authorities, on which allocations are based, represent the authorities best estimate of the likely level of grant approvals during the year. However, some grant approvals may not subsequently be taken up by applicants. In addition, if there are delays in completing the approved works, either due to a delay in getting contractors or for other reasons, the ultimate spend may arise in later years.

My Department has emphasised to local authorities that they should satisfy themselves that their approved applications are at a sufficiently high level to ensure that payments maturing during the course of the year are adequate to absorb the allocation requested. We will also continue to monitor expenditure patterns for the schemes with the aim of ensuring the maximum utilisation of available resources.