asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give consideration to the problems of those local authority tenants whose houses were not provided with open fireplaces; and if he will provide compensation in full for the cost of installing open fireplaces in local authority houses.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Open Fireplaces.
20.
A scheme of grants was introduced in October 1974 for the installation of fireplaces or solid fuel heaters in houses including local authority houses, which are centrally heated only. These grants are payable irrespective of whether State assistance was paid previously for the provision or reconstruction of the house. The combined State and supplementary grant amounted to two-thirds of the cost of the work or £400 per house whichever was the lesser. In November 1977 on the introduction of a revised scheme of house improvement grants I announced that a State grant of up to £600 or two-thirds of the cost, whichever is the less, is available for installing a fireplace or solid fuel heater in any house which has no heating facilities other than a central heating system. In addition, a local authority may make a reconstruction loan to a tenant or householder to enable him to meet his share of the cost of the work. Unsecured loans of up of £200 may be made. I intend to introduce amending legislation to enable unsecured loans of up to £600 to be advanced by local authorities subject to the same income limit as applies for the time-being to local authorities house purchase loans schemes. Pending this change in the legislation, a loan of up to £600 may be approved and an instalment of up to £220 may be paid immediately.
It is, therefore, open to local authority tenants of centrally heated houses to have fireplaces or solid fuel heaters installed with the aid of these grants and loans. Work done on a co-operative basis is reckonable for grant and loan purposes. It is not possible for me to provide compensation in full for the cost of such works due to the necessity to conserve capital resources for more urgent projects such as the provision of new dwellings and local authority house purchase loans. I have ensured, however, that the necessary capital is being provided to meet the costs of the grants and loans for the installation of fireplaces under the scheme.
The Minister spoke about reconstruction and compensation and said that he could not afford to pay compensation in full for work done on houses after they were built. Is this the scheme which he intends shall apply in relation to the reconstruction of the Finglas houses or what is the scheme?
No. There is no relationship between this scheme and what has happened in Finglas which was the subject matter of a previous question.
Is it not reconstruction?
The position in Finglas, as I stated earlier, is a matter between the contractors, the building agency and Dublin Corporation.
Is the Minister prepared to pay money from the rates for a reconstruction operation of this kind or what scheme will he operate under?
These are questions which have been answered. I am calling Question No. 21.
Does the Minister not appreciate the difficulty of local authority tenants who are in houses on a tenancy basis? If they apply for loans and grants to instal fireplaces in those houses they have actually paid for them although they have no right to them because they are living in tenancy houses. What steps will the Minister take to ensure that tenants in tenancy houses will be able to instal fireplaces and if they leave those houses that they will be compensated by the local authorities for the work they have done in improving those houses by installing fireplaces?
Details made available to tenants are contained in the reply. Matters relating to construction and improvements in rented local authority dwellings fall to be decided between the tenants and the local authorities. The Minister's connections relate mainly to making available the relevant grants and necessary capital for loans.
Is the Minister not aware that there is a disincentive to local authority tenants to improve their houses by installing fireplaces because of the risk that if they move from those houses they will not be compensated for the cost of installing those fireplaces?
That risk is always there.
Does the Minister intend taking any steps to encourage local authorities to compensate the tenants in full for any work they have carried out?
Not at this moment.
Would the Minister not agree that in some of those cases the houses have become difficult to live in and, therefore, they could be said to have been defective in design? In those circumstances, why should the tenants pay rather than the owners of the houses who are the local authorities?
That is a separate question.
This has been the practice. It is open to local authority tenants of centrally heated houses to have fireplaces or solid fuel heaters installed with the aid of these grants and loans. We have substantially increased the grants and loans. This should be of some help to the tenants.
The costs have also been increased substantially.