Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the impact of the non-inclusion of an eastern bridge in the Sligo and environs development plan 2010 to 2016 will have on the continuing funding of the refurbishment scheme from Cranmore and the eastern environs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43946/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The recent decision by Sligo Borough Council not to include any specific objective for a critical new access link to the east of Sligo in their draft development plan, in line with current and previous development plans, will impact on the potential to provide a new compact and sustainable model of development for Sligo, including the future regeneration of the Cranmore area. My Department is currently examining the impact of the council's decision on the long-term sustainable options for the regeneration of the Cranmore area. Any decision on the Cranmore regeneration programme must await the outcome of this examination.

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 276 and 277 together.

My Department's involvement with the new Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability relates primarily to the recoupment of a proportion of local authority expenditure on the payment of individual grants. These schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupments available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. In the case of the older Disabled Persons' and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes, these are funded by 67% recoupments together with a 33% contribution from the resources of the local authority. The detailed administration of these schemes, including the assessment and approval of individual applications and the payment of grants to householders, is the responsibility of the relevant local authority.

Details of the Exchequer funding provided to local authorities for these schemes for the years 2007 and 2008 and the total allocations for 2009 from Exchequer and local authority sources are set out in the following table.

Over the period 1 January 2009 to 27 November 2009, a total of €59.126 million has been recouped by my Department to local authorities in respect of the Exchequer contribution towards grant payments under the various grant measures. A total of €1.926 million has been recouped to Kildare County Council to date in 2009.