Vol. 541 No. 3
128 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the range of powers and incentives which are available to local authorities to provide housing within their respective areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22538/01]
Local authorities are empowered under the Housing Acts to carry out a range of housing functions, including the carrying out of assessments of social housing need and the development of housing strategies. A total of £7 billion – 8.89 billion, 1999 prices – is being provided over the period of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 for social and affordable housing. As well as the provision of local authority housing, a range of additional schemes and grants are operated by local authorities to improve existing dwellings and facilitate the provision of private dwellings. These include schemes or programmes relating to homeless accommodation, Traveller accommodation, affordable housing scheme, shared ownership scheme, essential repairs grant, disabled person's grant, improvement works in lieu of local authority housing, local authority extensions scheme, low cost housing sites, mortgage allowance scheme, local authority loans for home purchase and improvement and tenant purchase scheme. Copies of leaflets outlining the operation of these schemes are available from the Oireachtas Library. Details of the operation of these schemes at local level would be available from local authorities.
