Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 506: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding that will be made available to Galway County Council for the additional application works that were previously with the Health Service Executive west in relation to arrangements between local authorities and the HSE under the special housing aid for the elderly scheme; if he is satisfied with the situation whereby there are 387 outstanding applications since 2006 together with additional applications for 2007 and 2008; if his attention has been drawn to the impasse between both bodies in relation to the lack of available funds to deal with previous applications and new applications under this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32503/08]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

A combined allocation of €1,820,130 was made to Galway County Council earlier this year for the purposes of the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme and the Housing Aid for Older People Scheme, which amalgamates the provisions of the Essential Repairs Grant and the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme. Following a period of overlap with the new Housing Aid for Older People scheme, the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme was discontinued from 1 August 2008. Applications under the Special Housing Aid for the Elderly Scheme on hand at that date will continue to be processed by the Health Service Executive. My Department has received a request from Galway County Council for additional funding under these schemes. The Council, with the particularly significant levels of demand experienced to date in 2008, was recently notified of an additional Exchequer allocation of €300,000 towards their operation this year.