Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of applicants on waiting lists for disabled persons grants and essential repair grants; the length of time they are waiting in each of the councils throughout the country; the allocation of funding provided to each council; the cost of grant applications submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24295/07]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's involvement in the disabled persons and essential repair grant schemes relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. The administration of the schemes and decisions on individual applications are the responsibility of the appropriate local authority.

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.

Details of the current amount allocated to each local authority in respect of the Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant in 2007 are set out in the table. However, changes may be made to these allocations on foot of an examination of local authorities' demand and expenditure under the schemes which is currently being undertaken by my Department.