Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 15: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent to which he has sought or received information from the various local authorities appertaining to funding required for disabled persons grants; the extent to which he has met this need or proposes to meet this need in 2010; the number of applications for such grants now in the hands of the various local authorities; the extent of the waiting lists; when he expects to meet the requirements in full; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22254/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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To comprehensively assess the overall level of demand for grant assistance under the suite of Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, my Department requested local authorities to submit details of their funding requirements for 2010 by 22 January, with a view to determining the allocations for this year as soon as possible after the publication of the 2010 Revised Estimates for Public Service.

Having regard to the continued priority which the Government attaches to these schemes and the high level of demand across all local authorities, I approved a record Exchequer allocation of €80 million to the local authorities on 5 March, 2010. 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 combined allocation notified to them by my Department, and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation. The overall level of Exchequer funding sought by Local Authorities for spending in 2010 was €92.650 million. On the basis of the January returns from the local authorities, some 13,000 applications had been submitted for approval under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, of which some 4,430 relate to adaptation works to meet the needs of persons with a disability.