Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 448: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the level of take up by local authority for the home adaption grant for older people and people with disabilities for 2012; if the take up is limited because of available funds from his Department or the ability of the local authorities to provide matching funds; if it is intended to continue the scheme in 2013; if an assessment has been done with the local authorities in relation to their ability to provide matching funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34606/12]

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. To date some €22.3 million of this has been drawn down by local authorities, facilitating the payment of over 4,300 grants. In assessing the demand for grants each year local authorities are requested to set out the amount of matching funding being provided to meet the authority's 20% share of the grant payments. Collectively local authorities indicated that some €18.65 million in matching funds is available in 2012. This is more than adequate to meet the own resources contribution and is significantly greater than the €15.4 million contribution by local authorities to the grant schemes in 2011.

I will make every effort to ensure that funding for the suite of grants continues to receive priority in 2013, notwithstanding the constraints on the public capital programme. My Department will be contacting local authorities later this year to ascertain the position with regard to funding requirements for 2013 and the amount of available matching funding to support the grant schemes.