Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Oct 2000

Vol. 524 No. 2

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Tony Gregory

Question:

342 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department has received a request for funding from Dublin Corporation to install central heating in tenancy houses; and, if so, his response to this request. [22279/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy):

Dublin Corporation wrote to my Department on 15 June last seeking funding for the provision and upgrading of central heating in the remainder of their rented houses which lack the facility. The estimated cost of the corporation's proposals was some £16 million.

A response issued on 27 September informing the corporation that: the management, maintenance and improvement of their existing dwellings, including the installation of central heating, is the responsibility of local authorities to be defrayed from their own resources; where capital funding is provided under the remedial works scheme to assist authorities to carry out major essential works to designated estates, the installation of central heating in houses may form part of the works undertaken; and local authorities may seek approval to the use of their internal capital receipts, which are surplus to the requirements of their programme for the provision of local authority houses and the remedial works scheme, for improvement works such as the provision of central heating to their dwellings.

Apart from the arrangements outlined, the corporation was informed that my Department has no capital allocation at present from which to fund the installation of central heating in local authority estates.

Michael Ring

Question:

343 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government when the approval of a special housing loan in lieu of a council house for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be sanctioned to enable the local authority to make payment of the loan. [22326/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy):

The Department is issuing approval to this case in response to the request for sanction recently received from Mayo County Council.

Billy Timmins

Question:

344 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the shortfall in houses built by the local authorities as against the authorised starts for the years 1995 to 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22382/00]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy):

The number of authorised starts together with the number of actual house starts under the local authority housing construction-acquisition programme for each of the years 1995 to 1999 are set out in the following table:

Local Authority Housing Starts

Year	AuthorisedStarts	Starts
1995	3,900	3,700
1996	3,700	3,700
1997	3,600	3,600
1998	3,500	3,500
1999	4,500	3,800

Generally, local authority house starts are completed in the year following the allocation of the starts and few houses, with the exception of acquisitions, are completed in the year in which the start is allocated.