Vol. 514 No. 3
258 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will issue a recommendation to local authorities to make provision for a community development facility to be built in future local authority housing developments to enable these communities to develop their own resources and meet their social, recreational and community development needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4218/00]
Local authorities were advised in the new social housing design guidelines issued by my Department in September 1999 that they should consider ways to facilitate and encourage the provision of services and amenities, including community buildings, either within or adjacent to the site of proposed schemes. The type of building to be provided should be based on needs identified in consultation with the residents. They were advised that funding from scheme budgets is limited and relates to the size and nature of individual schemes and that additional sources of funding and the possibility of shared use of facilities with residents of adjacent developments should be investigated so as to ensure the best and most appropriate provision is made. While the provision of community facilities in new local authority housing schemes is a matter for individual local authorities in the first instance, any proposals which may be put to my Department will be considered on a scheme by scheme basis.
