The Kilkenny Observer Friday 5 May 2023
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A total of €1.99m in funding for Housing Adaptation Grants for older and disabled people in Kilkenny in 2023 has been announced by Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan. Nationally, €83.125m has been allocated for these grants to benefit 12,300 people, a 2.3% increase on the 2022 initial allocation. This represents a continuation of the year-on-
year increases in the grant since 2014. This funding will help facilitate older people and disabled people in Kilkenny to live independently in their own homes. Of the 2023 funding allocation of €1.99m for Kilkenny, the Exchequer will provide €1.59m while Kilkenny County Council will provide the remaining €398,215. Grants of up to €30,000 are available to assist disabled
people in carrying out necessary works to make a house more suitable for their needs. Additionally, grants of up to €8,000 are available to assist older people to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out on their homes. Grants of up to €6,000 are available for mobility aids. The funding, which supports home adaptations for older people, those with a disability and people with
mobility issues, provides 80% Exchequer funding through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The remaining 20% in funding comes from the relevant local authority. Minister Noonan said: “I am delighted to allocate increased funding in 2023 to deliver Housing Adaptation Grants for Older and Disabled people in Kilkenny. This allocation will build on
the success of last year where we exceeded the number of home adaptations initially targeted nationally. “We want to empower and enable people to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible – these grants help us to do just that. They also provide a boost to the local economy in Kilkenny, creating employment opportunities for local contractors.”
A run in the park
An average €1,025 more is payable on behalf of HSE residents in Co Kilkenny under Fair Deal as cost of care crisis persists for private and voluntary nursing homes. Figures show HSE nursing homes receive an average 69% more (€744) a resident, a week, under Fair Deal fees payable by comparison with private and voluntary counterparts. Full story Page 6
Young farmers ‘protected’
More photos Page 10
New model for local flood relief
EVERY FRIDAY
Children attending primary and special schools in Kilkenny and Carlow are set to benefit from free school books from September, Fine Gael TD, John Paul Phelan has said. Deputy Phelan outlined details of a hugely significant funding package which will eliminate the cost to families for all school books, workbooks and copybooks at all primary and special schools. Full story Page 6
Fair Deal is not such a fair deal
VHI staff, participants and volunteers at the Kilkenny parkrun, where Vhi hosted a special volunteer take over on Saturday morning. Vhi are proud presenting partners of parkrun and will be hosting dedicated staff volunteer take over days at various parkruns in the coming months. parkrun in partnership with Vhi support local communities in organising free, weekly, timed 5km runs every Saturday at 9.30am. To register for a parkrun near you visit www. parkrun.ie.
Flood relief schemes for Freshford and Piltown are about to begin through funding by the Office of Public Works. The OPW is now funding two staff in Kilkenny County Council who are dedicated to managing, jointly with the OPW, flood risk schemes across four communities in Kilkenny. This provides the opportunity to pilot together
Free books for school children
with Kilkenny County Council a new delivery model for flood relief schemes. Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Patrick O’Donovan said: “The history and experience of flooding in these communities has brought devastation and is a cause of great concern to the families, business and wider community.”
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“Within the current resource constraints, and from lessons learned to date, trialling a new delivery model for Freshford and Piltown will deliver important flood relief measures for these towns and inform the most efficient approach to delivering the next tranche of 60 flood relief schemes nationally.” Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny
County Council, Pat Fitzpatrick said he wanted to acknowledge the commitment and funding provided by the Office of Public Works for these projects and ongoing projects in Ballyhale and Graiguenamanagh. The Government’s investment in flood relief of €1.3 billion to 2030 under the National Development Plan has al-
lowed the State to treble, to 90, the number of flood relief schemes that are at design and construction. With the 12,500 homes and businesses already protected by completed flood relief schemes in 53 communities nationwide, the OPW and local authorities currently have work completed or underway to protect 80% of properties at risk.
Young farmer schemes and tax breaks will be fully protected, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar promised ahead of a planned meeting with Macra na Feirme after their march to Dublin. Full story Page 26
Jobs outlook Economic, health and geopolitical trends have created divergent outcomes for labour markets globally in 2023. While tight labour markets are prevalent in high-income countries, low – and lower – middleincome countries continue to see higher unemployment than before the Covid-19 pandemic. Global Report Page 22
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GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM
