€4m from Dormant Accounts to Provide,

Community Based Supports for Older People

Noel Ahern T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív T.D., Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and Sean Power T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children today announced that the Government has approved the allocation of €4.043m from the Dormant Accounts Fund to 122 projects nationwide to provide community based supports for the elderly.

The key objective of this funding measure is to assist older people to continue living in their own homes and in the community. The priority in providing such supports is to improve access to services for older people and to lessen the necessity for older people to be placed in residential care.

Successful projects include the provision of transport facilities that will enable older people access services more readily. A focus on the recreational and social needs of the elderly is also a feature with many of the successful projects involving the provision of small scale funding to organise leisure activities and events. Individual grants vary from €5,000 to €50,000.

Announcing today's allocation, Minister Ahern said, "I am delighted that the Government has approved this substantial allocation for older people. A key priority of this Government's strategy is to support older people to stay in their own homes and their communities. It is clear that there is a strong demand for these type of supports and I believe that the funding announced today provides many concrete examples of the benefits of targeted usage of the Dormant Accounts Fund in augmenting mainstream supports."

Minister Ó Cuív said that he intends to submit proposals to Government in relation to Dormant Accounts disbursements for 2007 in the near future and he envisages that supports for the elderly will again figure prominently in these proposals.

Mr Seán Power TD, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with special responsibility for Older People said, "The policy of this Government is to maintain older people in dignity and independence at home for as long as possible, in accordance with their wishes. The funding will support that policy by providing for projects which focus on recreational and social needs for older people, together with community care and other services. This runs side by side with the largest ever annual increase in funding for older people announced in this years Budget."

Disbursements from the Dormant Accounts Fund target three broad categories of persons:
- those affected by economic and social disadvantage;
- those affected by educational disadvantage; and
- persons with a disability

Today's announcement comes under the heading of economic and social disadvantage and it brings the allocations approved by Government under this category for 2006 to almost €17.5 million. Further announcements will be made in relation to other measures in this category over the coming weeks and months.

A full list of projects is attached.

Ends

Further Information:
Éadaoin Ní Mhonghaile - 087 8519913

Dormant Accounts list - older persons.doc (153 KB)

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