David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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646. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if the 2015 allocation for housing adaptation grants has been made to local authorities; if his attention has been drawn to the significant backlog of applications in local authority areas, in particular at priority one level, at which applications have been approved but cannot currently progress due to insufficient funding being available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15650/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Exchequer funding of over €37 million was provided by my Department to local authorities in 2014 for the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. Combined with an additional 20% contribution by individual local authorities, there was an overall spend last year of €46.3 million in this area. I am pleased to confirm that the 2015 amount will increase by some 10% to give a combined spend of €50.5 million. The 2015 allocations are currently under consideration in my Department and will issue to local authorities very shortly.

Through careful management of my Department’s housing budget in 2014, additional funds were made available to local authorities with high levels of grant activity under this scheme. The same scrutiny will be applied to the capital budget for 2015 and, in the event of savings arising, opportunities will be examined to reallocate funds accordingly.