Fergus O'Dowd
Question:43 Mr. O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the Government's views on the need to expand rural resettlement programmes; and the new initiatives he intends to take in this regard. [19266/02]
Written Answers. - Rural Resettlement Scheme.
My Department supports the activities of Rural Resettlement Ireland, RRI, to promote the resettlement of people from urban areas to rural areas mainly in the west of Ireland. Since 1992 a total of €963,530 by way of grant-in-aid has been paid by my Department to RRI to support their housing related activities which have enabled some 500 families to move to rural areas, using a combination of various social housing options. The terms of the voluntary housing capital loan and subsidy scheme were modified in August 2001 on a pilot basis to enable houses to be provided under the scheme by RRI for letting to families on the RRI waiting list who wish to move to a rural area. The scheme applies in the administrative areas of the councils of Clare, Leitrim, Limerick, Mayo and Offaly and I have no proposals, at present, to extend the scheme to other local authority areas. However, I would be prepared to consider proposals from other local authorities wishing to operate the scheme.