March 11 2009

Parliamentary Questions

• Amount Allocated to local authorities under Disabled Person’s Grant
• Voluntary Housing Bodies charging excessive rents
• Capital Assistance Scheme
• Contribution carer’s make to the economy
• Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grants
• Special Needs Teachers in Monaghan

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• Amount Allocated to local authorities under Disabled Person’s Grant

Deputy Mary Upton (L): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the allocation, including top up, under the aid to the elderly scheme and the disabled person’s grant scheme in 2008; the amount that will be allocated to each local authority in 2009 under these schemes;

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability arefunded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contributionfrom the resources of the local authority. In the case of the old Disabled Persons and EssentialRepairs Grant Schemes, these were funded by 67% recoupment available from my Departmenttogether with a 33% contribution from the resources of the local authority.In May 2008, my Department made an initial combined (Exchequer and local authority)allocation of €71.4 million for the operation of the grant schemes. In addition, to take accountof significantly increased levels of activity under the grant schemes experienced by local authorities,supplementary Exchequer allocations totalling €15 million were made in September,October and December 2008. Therefore, taking account also of the local authority contributionassociated with the €15m in supplementary Exchequer allocations, total expenditure in respectof the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability andthe Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes, in 2008, amounted to €94.9 million,representing an increase of almost €24 million over the corresponding expenditure in 2007.This level of funding supported the carrying out of adaptation and improvement works toover 12,000 vulnerable households in 2008, an increase of some 2,500 over those assisted in2007. I am including in the Official Report the following tabular statement setting out the totalamounts recouped by my Department to each local authority in respect of each grant schemein 2008.As regards funding for 2009, my Department has been in regular contact with all local authoritieson a range of relevant issues including the levels of activity experienced under theschemes in 2008, the levels of claims on hand, the degree to which prioritisation of applicationshas taken place and the anticipated levels of activity in 2009.In view of the anticipated high levels of demand under the schemes once again this year, Iam conscious of the need for local authorities to be able to deploy available resources as earlyas possible in order to maximise their impact for households availing of the schemes. Therefore,local authorities will be notified of their capital allocations in respect of the Housing AdaptationGrant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, immediately following the publicationof the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2009.As in previous years, it will be a matter for each local authority to decide on the specificlevel of funding to be directed towards each of the schemes, from within the combined allocationnotified to them by my Department, and to manage the operation of the schemes intheir areas from within this allocation.

• Voluntary Housing Bodies charging excessive rents

Deputy Arthur Morgan (SF): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he plans to introduce regulations that will prevent voluntary housing bodies from charging excessively high fees to their tenants. Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): Under the terms of the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme, managementand maintenance costs are met from the rental income generated by the project aswell as an annual management and maintenance subsidy allowance which is paid to approvedhousing bodies in respect of each dwelling funded under the scheme.The application of the rent formula as set out in the scheme may be modified, at the discretionof the approved housing body, in particular respects where they consider this appropriate.Rent payable under the scheme to an approved housing body, by a tenant, is based on householdand subsidiary income in the previous tax year. Where this would result in hardship arisingfrom a fall in income due to loss of employment, disability etc, the rent may be adjustedaccordingly.In the case of the Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS), which is aimed at persons with specialhousing needs such as elderly, the homeless or persons with a physical or intellectual disability,rents are charged at a reasonable rate having regard to tenants’ income. In cases where anapproved housing body contributes a minimum of 5% of the capital cost of a CAS fundedproject, the approved body may retain nomination rights, outside of the local authority waitinglist, for up to 25% of the units. In these circumstances, the normal landlord/tenant arrangementsapply.In line with the commitments set out in the Government’s housing policy statement,Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities my Department is currently undertaking, with the assistance of outside consultants, a strategic review of the role of the voluntary and co-operative housing sector in the provision, maintenance, operation and management of social rented accommodation in Ireland. The outcome of the review, which I expect to finalise by mid-2009, will inform policy with regard to, inter alia, future funding arrangements and the operation, maintenance and management of schemes.

• Capital Assistance Scheme

Deputy Aengus O’Snodaigh (SF): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the names of local authorities which sought funding through his Department’s capital assistance scheme; the amounts allocated to provide accommodation to meet special housing needs;

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): Since the inception of the Capital Assistance Scheme in 1984, atotal of €970,102,642 has been paid to approved housing bodies, through the local authorities,for the provision of accommodation for persons with special housing needs such as the elderly,the homeless or persons with a physical or intellectual disability. Details of the amounts paidto local authorities over the past five years are set out in the following table.

• Contribution carer’s make to the economy

Deputy Róisín Shortall (L): asked the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether carers save the Exchequer in excess of €2 billion each year;

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Deputy Máire Hoctor): I am aware that the Carers Association issued a press release earlier this year, indicating their view that Ireland’s family carers save the State over €2.5 billion per annum. I have, on numerous occasions, acknowledged the tremendous role played by all family carers, including those relating to older people and people with disabilities. The Government has, over recent years, provided significant additional investment either to put in place, or expand, a range of community based services such as Home Helps, Home Care Packages, Day/Respite Care, and Meals-on-Wheels. All of these are designed to support recipients and their families, so that those requiring care can remain in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. The Government fully appreciates the valuable role carers make to society, which complements the significant Exchequer funding provided annually in this area. 

• Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grants

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (FG): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will allocate or approve, increases in the funding available to the local authorities for disabled persons’ grants and essential repair grants;

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People andPeople with a Disability are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Departmenttogether with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. In the case of theold Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes, these were funded by 67% recoupmentavailable from my Department together with a 33% contribution from the resources ofthe local authority.As regards funding of the Schemes in 2009, my Department has been in regular contact withall local authorities on a range of relevant issues including the levels of activity experiencedunder the schemes in 2008, the levels of claims on hand, the degree to which prioritisation ofapplications has taken place and the anticipated levels of activity in 2009.I am conscious of the need for local authorities to be able to deploy available resources asearly as possible in order to maximise their impact for households availing of the schemes.Therefore, local authorities will be notified of their capital allocations in respect of the HousingAdaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, immediately followingthe publication of the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2009. 

• Special Needs Teachers in Monaghan

Deputy Caoimhghín O’Caoláin (SF): asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will review his decision to withdraw special needs teachers from a school (details supplied) in County Monaghan in view of the fact that this school not only caters for the catchment area of Monaghan town but for the wider northern half of County Monaghan.

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): There will be no pupil with a special educational need who will be without access to a special needs teacher as a result of the decision to apply the normal rules which govern the appointment and retention of teachers of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability. These special classes which are to close predate the 2005 General Allocation Model of allocating additional teacher support to schools to enable them to meet the needs of pupils with mild general learning disabilities as well as a number of other high incidence disabilities. All primary schools now have additional teaching support in place for this purpose. All primary schools were allocated additional teaching resources under the General Allocation Model to enable them support pupils with high incidence special educational needs including mild general learning disability (MGLD). Schools can decide how best to use this allocation based on the needs of the pupils. Most pupils with a MGLD are included in ordinary classes with their peers and are supported by their class teacher. The curriculum is flexible so that teachers can cater for the needs of children of different abilities. Teacher allocations to schools typically increase or decrease depending on pupil enrolment. In the case of classes for MGLD the normal pupil teacher ratio that applies is 11:1. My Department however permits schools to retain a teaching post where it has a minimum of 9 pupils in the class. This minimum was not fulfilled in the school referred to by the Deputy. Therefore, the school no longer qualifies to retain the class. When the General Allocation Model was introduced, schools with additional teachers in classes for MGLD were allowed to retain the teachers for these classes. Effectively, these schools received a double allocation. The number of these special classes has decreased since 2005 in line with falling numbers as pupils are supported through the additional teaching allocation provided and schools have integrated the children into age-appropriate mainstream classes. All of the other primary schools in the country who do not have classes for children with MGLD cater for these pupils from within the General Allocation Model. Pupils with a mild general learning disability have, and will continue to have access to additional teaching resources to support their education.

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