Vol. 537 No. 2
274 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the additional financial assistance which is available to pensioners who are buying their local authority house to meet the balance of costs of works being carried out by the local authority on their house under the remedial works scheme. [15674/01]
I refer to the reply to Questions Nos. 431, 432 and 433 of 1 May 2001.
Under the terms of the remedial works scheme, works to purchased dwellings, which would otherwise be the responsibility of the owner, may be included in a project where the local authority considers such works necessary to avoid an unacceptable or incongruous result to the refurbishment of the estate as a whole. In such cases, my Department will fund 50% of the cost of eligible works to the dwellings. The funding of the balance is a matter for arrangement between the tenant purchaser and the local authority. It would be normal practice for a local authority to enter into an agreement with a tenant purchaser to meet the balance by way of lump sum payment, increased or extended annuity payments, home improvement loan or combination of such methods of payment.
