John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 876: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the situation regarding funding for a county council (details supplied) for essential repairs grant schemes; if he will provide assurances that funding will be made available for projects which have been approved by the county council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26579/08]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 881: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the monetary value of applications received by Kilkenny County Council in respect of the housing aid for the elderly scheme, disabled persons grant scheme and essential repairs scheme; the amount of money allocated in 2008 in respect of each scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26633/08]

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 916: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will explain a situation whereby Cork County Council have told a person (details supplied) in County Cork that they can not get a grant under the housing aid for the elderly scheme for the replacement of defective windows and doors because money has run out for that scheme. [27349/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 876, 881 and 916 together.

The administration of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, which were introduced in November 2007 in place of the Essential Repairs and Disabled Person's Grant Schemes, is a matter for individual local authorities.

My Department made combined capital allocations of €491,790, €5,516,160 and €816,270 to Sligo, Cork, and Kilkenny County Councils, respectively, on 21 May 2008, for the operation of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. The schemes are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. It is a matter for local authorities to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed towards each of the schemes, from within the combined allocation notified to them by my Department, and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within this allocation.

Requests for additional funding for the operation of the schemes are dealt with in the context of the reallocation of surplus resources from other local authorities and, as such, allocations provided to local authorities are generally revised during the course of the year where expenditure is higher or lower than anticipated. Applications for additional funding from authorities will be considered by my Department in the light of any savings emerging later in the year in other local authority areas.

Data regarding the monetary value of applications received by Kilkenny County Council in respect of the schemes is not held in my Department.