Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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848. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if the stringent rules involved in allocating panic alarms locally (details supplied) will be urgently reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5822/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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My Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant.

Following a review, an updated version of the scheme came into effect in November 2017. A number of changes were introduced at this time, including the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements. However, eligibility to the scheme remains confined to those aged 65 or older.

The current version of the scheme came into effect in September 2021 and continues to incorporate these provisions, as well as introducing a new key feature in the additional option of a digital alarm, for use with web based connections.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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849. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development if her Department will inform local authorities of their local improvement scheme allocation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5986/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As part of 'Our Rural Future',the Government is committed to ensuring that the Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is funded into the future. This reflects the important contribution which the scheme makes to connectivity in rural Ireland. The LIS supports the improvement of rural roads and laneways that are not normally maintained by local authorities.

I launched the 2021 Scheme with an initial budget of €10.5 million. I was very pleased to source additional funding during the year and allocated a further round of funding to bring the total for 2021 to €21 million.

I was also pleased, as part of Budget 2022 to announce an increase in the base funding for LIS from €10.5 million to €11 million for this year.

I will be launching this year's scheme in the coming weeks at which point individual county council allocations will be made known.