Written answers

Tuesday, 29 April 2008

Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government

Local Authority Housing

9:00 pm

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 465: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the issues delaying a decision regarding the request of Dublin City Council for the re-development of D Block Liberty House, Dublin 1; and if approval will be granted in the short term. [16114/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Following receipt of the Liberty House proposal, my Department wrote to the local authority on 4 December 2007 expressing concerns regarding the value for money represented by the proposal and whether the appropriate tenure mix would be achieved, and highlighting the need for a clear development strategy for the remaining blocks. These issues were further discussed with the local authority at a meeting held on 14 February 2008. My Department is now awaiting a response from the authority.

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 466: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amount of funding given to each county council for disabled persons grants in each of the years 2000 to 2007 and to date in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16115/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Under the terms of the Disabled Persons Grant Scheme, my Department recoups 66% of the expenditure on individual grants to local authorities. Information on local authority activity under this Scheme for the years 2000 to 2006 is published in my Department's Annual Housing Statistics Bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library and on my Department's website, www.environ.ie. Details of the recoupments to local authorities in 2007 are set out in the following table. In respect of grant applications received under the Scheme prior to its replacement in November 2007 by the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability Scheme, I expect to be in a position shortly to notify local authorities of their capital allocations.

Disabled Persons Grant Scheme Recoupments 2007
Local AuthorityDisabled Persons Grant
Number of PaymentsValue of recoupments
Carlow County Council47322,157
Cavan County Council79603,109
Clare County Council86701,294
Cork County Council2822,091,404
Donegal County Council3071,610,583
Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council1841,245,293
Fingal County Council1501,023,818
Galway County Council217815,333
Kerry County Council2621,127,285
Kildare County Council77596,888
Kilkenny County Council52431,612
Laois County Council1541,408,421
Leitrim County Council126531,938
Limerick County Council168664,426
Longford County Council69290,463
Louth County Council121950,472
Mayo County Council443991,529
Meath County Council1841,073,257
Monaghan County Council1271,073,257
North Tipperary County Council153932,385
Offaly County Council92813,896
Roscommon County Council128761,573
Sligo County Council85207,696
South Dublin County Council3212,154,478
South Tipperary County Council164865,430
Waterford County Council109676,845
Westmeath County Council84678,802
Wexford County Council117839,198
Wicklow County Council54498,380
Cork City Council2661,218,359
Dublin City Council1,3357,608,111
Galway City Council87615,089
Limerick City Council67468,401
Waterford City Council34222,200
Sligo Borough Council44245,097

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 467: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the new criteria that has been attached to the disabled persons grant recently which is granted through each county council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16116/08]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability Scheme, which is administered by local authorities, was introduced on 1 November 2007. The Scheme replaces the old Disabled Persons Grant Scheme with the aim of providing targeted and more equitable support to assist people with a disability with their accommodation needs. The types of work grant aided under the Scheme may include the provision of access ramps, grab rails, downstairs toilet facilities, stair-lifts, accessible showers, adaptations to facilitate wheelchair access, extensions etc. Under the new Scheme the effective maximum grant has been increased from €20,320 to €30,000, and may now cover up to 95% of the cost of works, compared with 90% previously. To protect the value of the grant into the future, grants levels will be adjusted annually in line with the Building Cost Index. Eligibility for grant aid is determined on the basis of household means, with a grant of 95% of the approved costs of works available to applicants with annual household incomes of less than €30,000, tapering to 30% for those with annual household incomes of €54,001 to €65,000. The income limits will be increased annually in line with wage inflation. In determining eligibility for grant aid, local authorities are obliged to apply a number of income disregards in the calculation of household means, such as, inter alia, allowances for children, Family Income Supplement, Carer's Benefit/Allowance and Domiciliary Care Allowance. The recoupment rate to local authorities in respect of individual grants has been increased from two-thirds to 80%. It is the responsibility of the authorities to fund the remaining 20% from their own resources from amounts provided for that purpose in their annual estimates of expenditure. In addition, the Adaptation Grant for New Houses is available to people with a disability who purchase or build new houses which require adaptation works to meet specific accommodation needs. The effective maximum grant available is €14,500, which may cover up to 95% of the cost of the works.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.