Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 1137: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the way the scheme under which personal alarms are provided for elderly persons is administered; if funding is allocated on an ongoing basis or only at specific times during the year; the average waiting period between receipt of applications and provision of funding; if the scheme could be improved in order to obviate the need for elderly persons to wait months or longer for installation of alarms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28725/06]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The scheme of community support for older people is aimed at encouraging and assisting the community's support for older people by means of a community based grant scheme to improve the security of its older members. This is why the scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department.

In addition to funding the once-off cost of installing socially monitored alarm systems, the scheme also provides funding for door locks, window locks, door chains, security lighting and smoke alarms. There is also provision for interior emergency lighting for older people living on our offshore islands.

Maximum individual grants under the scheme are as follows: €300 in respect of socially monitored alarms; €200 in respect of physical security equipment; €200 in respect of security lighting; €50 in respect of smoke alarms; €150 in respect of interior emergency lighting, for qualifying older people living on our offshore islands.

For the 2006 scheme, which I launched in May, I introduced a number of important changes, which followed a consultation process my Department had conducted with a range of community and voluntary groups. One of the most important of these changes was to open the scheme for applications throughout the year. Previously, there had been a set closing date for receipt of applications each year and this had resulted in the full annual batch of applications being received at the same time with an obvious impact on their processing.

While we are still at an early stage in the cycle of applications, it is clear that this change has already resulted in applications now being processed in weeks rather than months. This change also allows groups to apply for funding under the scheme at any time throughout the year to address the needs of the older members of their communities as they arise. Overall, I am confident that the open application process has been very well received by the local community and voluntary groups who administer this scheme.

Another change I introduced this year is the payment of an administration subvention to these voluntary groups who deal with the applications on behalf of the older people in the communities. This is a recognition of the important work such groups do on an ongoing basis.