Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 605: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he intends making a further allocation to local authorities under the housing aid for older persons grant and the housing adaption grant in view of the demand for these schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26905/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Exchequer allocations for 2012 in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, totalling some €54.2 million, were notified to local authorities on 28 February. My Department monitors expenditure under these schemes on an ongoing basis and any savings, resulting from an under-spend by local authorities of their 2012 allocation, will be made available for re-allocation to authorities whose allocations have been fully spent.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 606: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the percentage of the housing grant that is considered to be self financing from an Exchequer point of view taking into account the construction activity such grants create, deadweight and the taxes received from increased economic activity as well as social welfare savings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26906/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes have a major impact on the quality of life for the many thousands of beneficiaries and are vitally important in assisting older people and people with a disability to continue to live independently in their own homes. In 2011 alone, a combined Exchequer and Local Authority contribution of over €76m facilitated the payment of over eleven thousand grants to householders all across the country.

There are substantial social and fiscal benefits accruing as the grant schemes also generate local employment opportunities for builders and businesses. My Department estimates that up to 12 man-year jobs are sustained for each €1 million investment in housing retrofitting and improvement works. The detailed socioeconomic indicators referred to are not available in my Department.