Vol. 536 No. 2
346 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the financial assistance available to those in local authority houses and those who have purchased local authority houses for the removal of asbestos material; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13996/01]
There are no specific grants available from my Department or local authorities for the removal of asbestos in housing. The management and maintenance of their rented dwellings are the responsibility of local authorities to be defrayed from their own resources. In addition, a number of targeted options are currently available to assist especially vulnerable groups, such as lower income households and elderly persons, to secure necessary improvement works to their private houses. These include the local authority house improvement loan scheme, the essential repairs grant scheme and the improvement works in lieu of local authority housing scheme, all administered by local authorities and the task force on special housing aid for the elderly which is administered by the local health board.
