Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 159: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of local authorities that are continuing to accept applications under the housing aid, mobility aids and housing adaption disability schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42504/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Allocations totalling €79.562 million for 2009 were notified to local authorities under the Housing Adaptation Grant Scheme for Older People and People with a Disability, the Mobility Aids Grant Scheme and the older Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes on 7 May 2009. Having regard to the continued priority which the Government attaches to these schemes and following an evaluation of the ongoing level of demand for grants, the level of expenditure to date and the capacity of local authorities to process and approve additional applications in the current year, I approved a supplementary allocation of approximately €12.5 million to some 26 local authorities on 12 October, 2009.

The detailed administration of the grant schemes, including the assessment and approval of applications and the payment of grants to individual applicants, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed towards each of the individual schemes, from within the allocation notified to them by my Department, and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation. While my Department has not been formally advised of any local authorities having discontinued the schemes in their areas, they are very heavily subscribed and available funding has been heavily committed in many areas.