asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make moneys available to housing authorities for the renovation and reconstruction of sub-standard houses owned by them; and if he will give special consideration to the allocation of moneys for the installation of bathrooms.
Written Answers. - House Improvement Grants.
312.
Under the revised scheme for house improvement works operated by my Department, housing authorities may avail of grants of up to £600 per house for the provision of extensions for the relief of over-crowding, the provision of fitted bathrooms involving an addition to the floor area of the house, provision of a hot water system, provision of an electricity supply, a private water supply, private sewerage facilities or the replacement or substantial reconstruction of a roof. My Department will also recoup to a local authority £1,200 or half the cost, whichever is the lesser, when they provide extra rooms and works required for the proper accommodation of physically disabled people or those suffering from acute mental illness. Housing authorities may contribute towards the cost of such works out of their housing revenue accounts. Under revised arrangements introduced with effect from 1 January 1977 they are allowed to retain total rental income and 60 per cent of the proceeds of house sales for these accounts.
There are at present no other funds at my disposal out of which moneys can be made available to housing authorities for improvement works to their rented dwellings because of the necessity to conserve available capital for the provision of urgently required new local authority houses and the financing of house purchase loans.