James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 548: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he proposes to take to make up the shortfall in funding for disabled persons grants in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18755/07]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The capital allocation for disabled persons and essential repairs grants notified to Westmeath County Council for 2007 is €1,200,000. The Council's expenditure on the schemes to date is €783,680.

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.

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, for a range of reasons, be surplus to their requirements.

No request for an increase in the 2007 allocation has been received to date from Westmeath County Council.