Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the funding crisis facing Roscommon County Council under the mobility aids grant scheme, the housing adaptation grant for people with a disability scheme and housing aid for older people scheme; if he will outline the number of persons awaiting approval under each scheme and the steps he is taking to address the backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42748/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department’s involvement with the 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. The grant schemes, introduced in November 2007, are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. It is a matter for each local authority to determine how the funding is apportioned between the various grant measures and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation.

On 28 February 2012, my Department notified Roscommon County Council of an Exchequer allocation of €807,401 under the grant schemes for 2012. To date some €680,056.56 of this has been drawn down by the Council, facilitating the payment of 131 grants.

All of the available funding under the grant measures has been allocated. Any request for additional funding will be considered in the context of savings which might arise from an under-spend by local authorities of their 2012 allocations . So far, no request for additional funding has been received from Roscommon County Council.