Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent)
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1102. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government how the funding for housing adaptation grants for the elderly and disabled, as allocated from Exchequer funds to the relevant local authorities, was calculated; how Wicklow County Council received €280,000, as opposed to €1.6 million for County Tipperary, €2.2 million for County Mayo and €1.2 million for County Wexford, in view of the fact that each county has a similar population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22455/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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On 28 May 2015, I announced funding of €40.4 million for the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability. I have increased the level of funding available for the grant schemes by some 10% for 2015. Allocations in 2015 were based primarily on the level of grant activity in local authorities in 2014, with no local authority getting less than their 2014 allocation.

The full funding amount to Wicklow County Council in respect of these grants is €869,052. Of this total, €280, 242 is being provided directly by my Department from Voted Exchequer funding and a further €415,000 will be funded from Wicklow County Council's Local Property Tax allocation, in lieu of Exchequer funding.  Wicklow is one of 10 local authorities that will receive higher levels of Local Property Tax income in 2015 compared to General Purpose Grant funding in 2014, which will enable them to fund some services in the housing and roads areas that were historically funded by central Government.

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. I will be applying the same scrutiny to the capital budget for 2015 and, in the event of savings arising, these grants will be a priority for supplementary funding.