Not enough money to fund Housing Aid

DISABILITY and Mobility Housing Grant applications will take priority over Housing Aid for Older People applications this year.

The Council has said it is unlikely to be able to fund the 177 applications currently sent in this year.

It approved 250 Housing Grants in 2016 and has already approved 100 grants so far this year but another 177 applications have been made.

Council official Joe Murphy told members at the meeting that “it’s clear we won’t be able to fund them all” as the applications which are currently being processed are estimated to cost in the region of ¤ 1million and the Council only has ¤ 316,000 left in this year’s budget for those grants.

His report was in answer to a request for information from Councillor Margaret Gormley.

“There is a huge number of applications tobe logged into the system,” she said.

“I see it’s highly unlikely that all applications will be approved this year. They are good schemes and they give employment to local people and allow people to live in their own homes without going into institutions,” she added. “Can we look at more funding?” she asked. “We can but we have to provide ¤ 20,000 somewhere else for every ¤ 100,000 we get from the Government,” replied Mr Murphy.

Cllr Martin Baker said people “want to be realistic”: “People are saying do away with this and that and our roads and these grants are being affected. We’re going to have to look at our budget for next year,” he said.

Cllr Hubert Keaney said: “This is a consequence of our not making decisions in other areas.” Councillors then agreed to a motion from Cllr Rosaleen O’Grady calling on the Government to reduce the required match funding of 20% to 10%.