Offaly receives over €30,000 in grants for elderly
Offaly has received over €30,000 in grants under the Scheme of Community Support for Older People. Tullamore Social Services received €30,181.25 and Moneygall Community Alert received €540 this week as part of the grants for schemes nationwide announced by Minister of State John Curran. Mr Curran announced funding for 23 groups under the Scheme of Community Support for Older People totalling over €76,000 in funding. Over €137,109 has been approved this year to date under the Scheme with 42 groups receiving funds. Announcing the funding Minister Curran said: "As a result of today's allocation of over €76,000 a further 238 older persons will have benefited from the Scheme. I am confident that the equipment made available by this funding will bring safety and peace of mind to older people. The ethos of the Scheme of Community Support for Older People is centred on continued involvement with older people within our communities and I must thank local organisations in promoting and fostering community activity at local level." This Scheme is funded, managed and administered by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs with the support of local community and voluntary organisations working with older people. The Department will introduce a revised Scheme in the coming weeks and will keep the current arrangements in place to avoid any disruption in grant support. This Scheme encourages and assists the community's support for older people by means of community-based grant to improve the safety and security of its older members. The Scheme is open to people aged 65 and over who have a genuine need for assistance. Funding is available towards the cost of installing monitored personal alarm systems, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, external security lighting and other ancillary items of physical security equipment. In the case of qualifying older people living on our offshore islands, funding is also provided towards the cost interior emergency lighting.