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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 6 May 1998

Vol. 490 No. 5

Priority Questions. - Local Authority Housing.

Question:

17 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the actions, if any, proposed by his Department to refurbish existing inadequate housing accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10527/98]

The upgrading and maintenance of their rented dwellings is the responsibility of local authorities using their own resources and availing, as appropriate, of funding from my Department to assist authorities in their task. These sources of funding are: the remedial works scheme — £192 million has been made available to local authorities to date, including £19.024 million in 1998, to assist them in carrying out major structural works to designated housing estates; and the bathrooms sub-programme — £16.5 million, including £500,000 in 1998, has been made available to assist local authorities in the provision of bathrooms-showers-toilets in their rented dwellings which lack such facilities. Bathrooms may also be provided as part of larger refurbishment projects under the remedial works scheme; and the estate improvement programme — the programme, introduced in 1997 arising from the recommendations of the First Report of the Ministerial Task Force on Measures to Reduce the Demand for Drugs, is providing £3 million over two years — £1.5 million in 1997 and £1.5 million in 1998 — to assist certain authorities in tackling environment and related problems in severely run-down urban housing estates and flats complexes in disadvantaged areas. The objective of the programme is to eliminate or modify aspects of the design and layout of estates which are conducive to anti-social behaviour, carry out improvement work to enhance the living environment for tenants and establish improved estate management arrangements; the use with the Minister's specific approval of capital receipts from the sale of local authority houses towards certain once-off upgrading of housing in Dublin city and housing transferred from the corporation to the adjoining county councils.

On improvements to private housing, a range of targeted measures is currently available to assist in the case of low income households or special category needs. These include: the disabled person's and essential repairs grants schemes — £4.75 million is available for recoupments to local authorities in 1998; the Task Force on Special Housing Aid for the Elderly — £5 million is available in 1998 compared to an outturn of £4.132 million in 1997; the scheme of improvement works in lieu of local authority housing — £1 million extra has been made available to bring the 1998 provision to £3.66 million to enable local authorities to improve or extend existing private accommodation of housing applicants instead of rehousing them in local authority accommodation; and local authority house improvement loans.

In the context of the Government's An Action Programme for the Millennium, I am examining possible options to extend the range of measures currently available to assist low income households secure necessary improvement works to their housing. Pending completion of this examination, and decisions arising from it, I do not propose to comment on the possible outcome of this examination.

Mr. Hayes

Does the Minister of State not agree that the sum of £19 million recently allocated to the remedial works scheme is paltry when taken in the context of a budget of over £250 million? This figure represents less than 8 per cent of the total allocation given by his Department to housing. Does the provision of £19 million not fly in the face of the statement made by the Progressive Democrats and Fianna Fáil on signing their programme for Government that the refurbishment of existing inadequate housing would be one of their key priorities? Will the Minister of State not admit that the remedial works scheme is wholly inadequate because it refers substantially to housing schemes built before 1940 and that many inadequate housing estates were built in the 1960s and 1970s when he served as Minister for Local Government? What does the Minister of State intend to do about this?

They are known as "Molloy houses".

Mr. Hayes

Yes. The Minister of State has been in office for ten months and he has been sitting pretty on this issue. To date, he has failed to provide the House with a record of achievement.

The amount of money being provided this year by the Government for the scheme in question represents a substantial increase on the funding provided in previous years.

Mr. Hayes

It is less than 8 per cent of the total budget allocation.

From the tone of his question, the Deputy must be utterly ashamed of the amount provided by his party last year when it was in Government.

Mr. Hayes

I am also ashamed of the houses built when the Minister of State served as Minister for Local Government.

A total of 9,500 houses have been refurbished under the remedial works scheme and work is under way in respect of a further 6,000 units. Like previous Administrations, the Government does not have an unlimited amount of money available to it. The major increase in funding already provided this year in respect of social housing is ample indication of our commitment——

Mr. Hayes

My question related to refurbishment.

——in this area, which includes refurbishment.

Major housing provisions for lone parents.

As already stated, studies are currently under way to see if we can introduce some form of focused home improvement scheme to help families who are in urgent need of assistance. We should be able to provide such assistance by focusing the scheme on those with the greatest need. Such a scheme did not exist during the lifetime of the previous Government and I am anxious to fill that gap in the housing area because action has already been taken in most of the other areas.

Such as Carlow.

Studies in respect of the scheme are ongoing and I hope to be able to make a decision on it in the future. However, such a decision will be tied into budgetary considerations and I do not expect to be able to make it until after the summer recess.

(Carlow-Kilkenny): Many council houses built 20 to 30 years ago are occupied by pensioners who are often on low incomes. Will the Minister of State consider giving priority to providing these people with central heating? They are old — some are in bad health — and they have an urgent need for heating. Central heating was installed in houses built in the past seven years for younger people who are full of life and energy. The elderly spend their incomes paying rent. Will the Minister of State give priority to the provision of central heating in these people's homes when he provides grants for refurbishment in the future?

I am glad the Deputy raised this matter because I am anxious to direct assistance to those who are in greatest need with the least means. The category of people to which the Deputy referred is included in the group I am anxious to help. Many of these people have problems other than the lack of central heating, such as the condition of their homes, and they do not have the means to carry out necessary repairs. I am greatly disturbed by this and anxious to deal with it. I will bear the Deputy's concerns in mind when we come to deal with this issue.

(Carlow-Kilkenny): Many of the dwellings to which I referred are county council houses and are, as such, publicly owned.

I will give consideration to both types of housing. I am anxious to ensure that we provide the greatest comfort possible with the resources available to people living in houses which require improvements such as the provision of central heating, repairs to roofs, windows and doors and the provision of toilet facilities. I am determined to find a way to provide assistance to these people.

I had intended to raise the issue of central heating and I strongly endorse the comments made by Deputy Browne. The specifications for new local authority housing have included provision for central heating for a number of years, which is part of the essential part of a house. The next step should be to investigate whether this can be provided as part of the refurbishment scheme.

If repairs to housing are not carried out correctly, the need for refurbishment arises. Is the Minister of State satisfied with the current programme of repairs and the ability of local authorities to carry out such repairs? Does he intend to put in place a mechanism to audit the repairs supports available to local authority tenants?

I take it the Deputy is being critical in some way of the cost effectiveness of housing repair programmes undertaken by local authorities.

Perhaps I should restate the question in the interest of clarity.

Acting Chairman

We have spent a great deal of time on this question and I ask the Deputy to co-operate by being brief.

As I learned in the past, the Minister of State is adept at putting words in other people's mouths. What is his view in respect of the supports available to local authority tenants in respect of housing repairs? If he has no opinion on that issue, the Minister of State should state as much and not put words in my mouth. If he is satisfied with the supports provided in each local authority area, does he plan to put in place a mechanism to audit them?

I have a special interest in this matter. I am concerned that certain local authorities are dilatory in ensuring that the necessary standards are maintained in respect of housing. In many cases, the period between the need for repairs being brought to the notice of local authorities and their being carried out is too long. I am not satisfied with this, but I accept that local authorities will have to inject additional funding to their maintenance programmes to resolve the problem. I thought the Deputy was asking whether the money being spent by local housing authorities on their maintenance programmes was being used in the most efficient and effective way possible.

That is also a real question.

I do not have any information available to me at present in respect of the effectiveness of the maintenance programme. However, this matter warrants examination and I will give further consideration to it.

Mr. Hayes

Everyone would be better off if the replies were as brief as the questions. I put it to the Minister of State that the remedial works scheme does not relate directly to houses built in the 1960s and 1970s which are in a deplorable condition. Is it his intention, by means of the examination to which he referred, to reconstitute the remedial works scheme because it is completely inadequate to deal with the scale of the problem?

The remedial works scheme is satisfactory and I would be glad to entertain any applications received from local authorities. The works they have undertaken as part of the scheme have brought great comfort to 9,500 families. Work is currently under way to bring greater comfort to approximately 6,000 families. That extensive remedial programme is ongoing, and the amount being provided by the Government in 1998 is substantially increased on last year. I have not had any complaints from elected representatives regarding any specific aspect of the way in which the scheme operates. If complaints have been made I will be pleased if they are brought to my notice. My experience to date, however, has been that this scheme is working successfully. It is expensive but the Government is committed to funding it and we will continue to keep it under review. If the Deputy wishes to indicate to me specific flaws in the scheme, I will be pleased to hear from him about a specific case.

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