Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 389: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the reason funding is no longer available to the disabled persons grant scheme in both Cork city and county councils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37331/08]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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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.

My Department made capital allocations of €1,962,090, €2,545,140 and €1,008,930 to the North, South and West Divisions, respectively, of Cork County Council and €1,855,620 to Cork City Council, in 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.

My Department has received a request from Cork County and City Councils for additional funding under the Housing Adaptation Grants Schemes to take account of the particularly significant levels of activity experienced in 2008. These Councils were recently notified of a combined additional Exchequer allocation of €1,200,000, (that is €300,000 for Cork City Council and €300,000 for each of the County Council's three Divisions), towards the operation of these schemes this year.