Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny TD has questioned Mayo County Council about the current funding available from the Minister of Environment, John Gormley TD and the administration of the housing grants available in Mayo.
He is concerned by the administrative change-over of these schemes from the Health Service Executive (HSE ) to local authorities and that the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government is not providing enough funding for these schemes in comparison to those run by the HSE. Also the forms that are used to apply for these schemes have been described as difficult to complete; in addition, the design guidelines for the forms are issued by Minister Gormley’s department.
The Fine Gael Leader has previously placed Parliamentary Questions to the Minister for Health regarding the scheme run by the HSE, however, the scheme has been handed over to local authorities. Deputy Kenny has been contacted by some constituents who have been approved for the local authority grants but are awaiting funding to be issued, and who have been waiting for some time for their funding.
Dep Kenny said: “I am aware of a number of successful applications that are awaiting funding to commence works. The Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government allocated €2.4 million in 2008 for housing adaptation grants schemes for older people and people with a disability, but I have placed a Parliamentary Question to the Minister seeking to ascertain how much funding has been granted to date. A situation has developed where the Government is using bodies such as local authorities to take the rap for the Government’s own shortcomings.”
