Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 20: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action he will take to increase funding for housing adaptation grants in respect of the elderly and disabled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36516/08]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 369 of 7 October 2008 and in view of the economic downturn, the way he will assist the elderly and people with mobility impairments especially those in the 18 local authority areas which have applied for but have not been granted additional funding. [36390/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 37 together.

Demand under the housing adaptation grant schemes for older people and people with a disability has been accelerating year on year, with annual expenditure in recent years rising from €13 million in 1997 to an initial expenditure estimate of over €71 million in 2008. The launch of the revised suite of grant schemes in November 2007 and the associated publicity has led to a heightened level of demand across all local authority areas.

In light of this, local authorities have been requested to operate the grant schemes on a prioritised basis, with particular consideration to be given to applicants requiring adaptations to facilitate discharge from hospital, or to alleviate the need for hospitalisation in the future, and those applicants requiring improvement works to facilitate the continuance of care in their own home.

To take account of particularly significant levels of activity experienced by a number of local authorities, supplementary Exchequer allocations totalling €3.6 million were made in September 2008. Details of a further round of supplementary Exchequer allocations to other local authorities, to the value of €5 million, are currently being finalised.

In addition, and in line with my objective of prioritising the needs of the most vulnerable households, the total financial provision secured for housing in 2009 will allow for the level of funding allocated towards housing supports for older people and people with a disability next year to be increased by 8% over the initial estimate for 2008.