Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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257. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding allocated for community alert programmes in 2014; the funding provided for 2015; if his Department will continue to administer this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5224/15]

Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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My Department manages the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities by providing grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. The scheme is administered by local community and voluntary groups with the support of my Department. My Department undertook to consider new approaches to the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2014 and arising from this, it was decided that the scheme be managed by Pobal, given that organisation’s significant experience delivering programmes on behalf of Government.

These new arrangements are designed to reduce the administrative burden for the many hundreds of community and voluntary groups registered under the Scheme, who provide an excellent service for the elderly. It will enable the groups to concentrate on the main purpose of the Scheme, namely to support and interact with the elderly in the local community.

The funding allocated for the Seniors Alert Scheme in 2014 was €2.35m, of which €1.7m was drawn down. This met the needs of all 7,120 qualifying applicants under this demand-led scheme during the year. The allocation for 2015 has been maintained at the 2014 level of €2.35m.