Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the assistance available to an elderly person in receipt of an old age pension to replace windows and doors in view of the fact that the local authority are not accepting any applications due to lack of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32554/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Under the terms of my Department's Housing Aid for Older People Grant Scheme, which is administered by the local authorities, grants of up to €10,500 are available to assist older people living in poor housing conditions to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out. Grant eligible works are varied and may include repairs to or replacement of windows and doors, which in the opinion of the local authority are considered necessary to make the house habitable for the lifetime of the occupant. The maximum grant available is €10,500 which may cover up to 100% of the costs of works for applicants with gross annual household incomes of less than €30,000, tapering to 30% for those with incomes of €54,001 to €65,000.

In the case of County Wicklow, my Department notified Wicklow County Council on 17 February 2011 of an Exchequer allocation of €0.919 million for 2011 under the suite of grants for older people and people with a disability. To date some €0.686 million of this, amounting to 75% of the approved funding, has been drawn down by the Council.

My Department is aware that these schemes are very heavily subscribed and available funding has been committed in many areas. My Department is also aware of the financial constraints on local authority own resources funding at this time and, in order to relieve the pressure on revenue funding, agreed to allow authorities to use internal capital receipts to boost the revenue funding available for supporting the grant schemes in 2011.

To provide for continuity in the processing of applications and the payment of grants under the various grant measures, local authorities are advised by my Department that they can commit up to 50% of their current year allocation in respect of grant payments falling due in the following year.