May 27 2010

Parliamentary Questions

• Applications for Grant Schemes for People with a Disability from Local Authorities
• Grants available for disabled facilities for community and sporting groups
• Capital allocation for 2010 for housing adaptation grant schemes

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• Applications for Grant Schemes for People with a Disability from Local Authorities

Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (FG): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the extent to which he has sought or received information from the various local authorities appertaining to funding required for disabled persons grants; the extent to which he has met this need or proposes to meet this need in 2010; the number of applications for such grants now in the hands of the various local authorities; the extent of the waiting lists; when he expects to meet the requirements in full;

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): To comprehensively assess the overall level of demand for grant assistance under the suite of Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, my Department requested local authorities to submit details of their funding requirements for 2010 by 22 January, with a view to determining the allocations for this year as soon as possible after the publication of the 2010 Revised Estimates for Public Service. Having regard to the continued priority which the Government attaches to these schemes and the high level of demand across all local authorities, I approved a record Exchequer allocation of €80 million to the local authorities on 5 March, 2010. It is a matter for each local authority to decide on the specific level of funding to be directed towards each of the individual schemes, from within the combined allocation notified to them by my Department, and to manage the operation of the schemes in their areas from within their allocation. The overall level of Exchequer funding sought by Local Authorities for spending in 2010 was €92.650 million. On the basis of the January returns from the local authorities, some 13,000 applications had been submitted for approval under the suite of Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, of which some 4,430 relate to adaptation works to meet the needs of persons with a disability. 

• Grants available for disabled facilities for community and sporting groups

Deputy Noel Ahern (FF): asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the grant schemes that are available this year to community or sporting groups for installation of toilets including disabled facilities; if application dates will be provided; if operated directly by his Department or an agency under its remit; if schemes are lottery financed, dormant accounts financed or other;

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (Deputy Pat Carey): As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is responsible for a number of grant schemes that may be relevant to the issue he has raised:

• Under the EU co-funded Rural Development Programme Ireland 2007 — 2013, funding is available for the provision of basic services — including the development of amenity and leisure facilities — for rural communities. Details of the 36 groups administering the Programme are available from my Department’s website www.pobail.ie.
• Under the Exchequer-funded Gaeltacht Improvement Schemes, funding is made available to provide or improve local recreational facilities (sports fields, changing rooms, handball alleys, community halls, summer colleges, family support centres, etc) in the Gaeltacht. Application forms are available directly from my Department’s offices in Na Forbacha in Galway.

The Deputy may also wish to note that the Programme of Grants for Locally-based Community and Voluntary Organisations, which was part-funded from the National Lottery, provided funding in respect of the refurbishment of community premises and the purchase of equipment for community and voluntary organisations. The Programme is, however, suspended at present and I do not envisage it re-opening for new applications in the foreseeable future. 

• Capital allocation for 2010 for housing adaptation grant schemes

Deputy Emmet Stagg (L): asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment the capital allocation for 2010 from his Department to each local authority for the housing adaptation grant scheme for older people and people with a disability.Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Deputy Michael Finneran): The 2010 Exchequer allocations to local authorities in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grants for Older People and People with a Disability are set out inthe following table.

Local Authority                                             Allocation 2010 €

Carlow County Council                                         1,494,500

Cavan County Council                                         1,500,000

Clare County Council                                           2,500,000

Cork County Council                                            6,490,067

Donegal County Council                                      3,680,000

Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown Co Cl                              1,708,000

Fingal County Council                                          2,100,000

Galway County Council                                        1,900,000

Kerry County Council                                           3,249,000

Kildare County Council                                         3,000,000

Kilkenny County Council                                       1,494,000

Laois County Council                                           1,464,000

Leitrim County Council                                         1,310,000

Limerick County Council                                       1,547,000

Longford County Council                                       1,000,000

Louth County Council                                          2,156,500

Mayo County Council                                           2,976,000

Meath County Council                                          1,171,277

Monaghan County Council                                 1,664,000

North Tipp County Council                                 1,341,000

Offaly County Council                                          1,800,000

Roscommon County Council                               2,200,000

Sligo County Council                                            975,000

South Dublin County Council                             3,800,000

South Tipp County Council                                 2,500,000

Waterford County Council                                  1,362,000

Westmeath County Council                                1,483,970

Wexford County Council                                      2,621,500

Wicklow County Council                                       1,949,850

Cork City Council                                                   2,166,333

Dublin City Council                                              11,300,000

Galway City Council                                             981,333

Limerick City Council                                            1,220,000

Waterford City Council                                         698,000

Sligo Borough Council                                          500,000

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