Vol. 434 No. 4
126 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment if regulations made by him implementing sections 17 and 18 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1992, will place new responsibilities on local housing authorities; if it will take extra staff-time to implement these regulations; and the proposals, if any, he has to provide extra resources to these housing authorities to enable them to fulfil their obligations in this matter.
I refer to my reply to Question No. 3 of 23 June 1993. The requirement under the Housing (Rent Books) Regulations, 1993, and the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 1993, are in some respects a development of, and/or a replacement for, existing responsibilities of local authorities.
It is a matter for individual local authorities to make the necessary arrangements to enforce the Regulations in their areas, including the allocation of staffing resources as considered necessary. On-going administrative expenditure of authorities in matters such as the enforcement of these Regulations is not, in general, assisted by State grants. There are no proposals to change the arrangements whereby such expediture is financed from local authorities' own resources, supplemented by the rate support grant.
