asked the Minister for the Environment if his attention has been drawn to the fact that £200 million by way of essential repairs and improvements is required to bring Dublin Corporation's housing stock up to a satisfactory condition and that the absence of his Department's guidelines on housing maintenance along with reductions in the rate supports grants, has reduced this housing stock to such a low level of disrepair that its total market value is a maximum of £500 million — £600 million; and if he will commit an additional £20 million per year to Dublin Corporation to ensure that a ten year programme of repair and improvement can be mounted to offset previous neglect of the city's housing stock.
Written Answers. - Dublin Corporation's Housing Stock.
215.
I would refer the Deputy to the replies to Questions Nos. 77 and 79 of 9 March 1989, 29 of 7 February 1989, 114 of 31 May 1988, and 27 and 31 of 3 February 1988. I would again emphasise that the management, maintenance and improvement of their dwellings — the construction cost of which was funded in full by the Exchequer — is the responsibility of the local authority. There are no funds available to me to enable authorities to make good any failure by them to adequately maintain and manage their housing estates over the years. The limited special funding available under the remedial works scheme is geared towards remedying defective "low cost" housing, refurbishing pre-1940 estates, including the provision of necessary sanitary facilities, and the rehabilitation of designated problem estates to which the local authority have accorded the highest priority. The scheme is not a substitute for a properly planned and executed maintenance and management programme and should not be seen as relieving a housing authority of the responsibility of looking after and improving their housing stock. Future allocations to Dublin Corporation under the scheme will be dependent on their overall response to the maintenance and management problems of their estates, the capital available, and the level of demand by other authorities for such financial assistance.