Ivor Callely
Question:130 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for the Environment his views on the benefits of house improvement grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17966/96]
Written Answers. - House Improvement Grants.
While I recognise that a general house improvement grants scheme would help to promote the conservation and improvement of the housing stock, I am particularly conscious of the cost of the previous scheme. The Government's priorities in the housing area, as set out in A Government of Renewal, are to expand the local authority and other social housing programmes and to upgrade deficient local authority dwellings. As the available resources will, accordingly, be concentrated on these programmes, I have no proposals, at this stage, to re-introduce a house improvement grants scheme.