I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noel Ahern, for coming in to the House to reply to this Adjournment matter on the application for remedial works to Glenma housing estate, Croom, County Limerick, which is one of the oldest housing estates in County Limerick, having been built in the 1960s. The Minister of State encouraged the local authority to apply for grant assistance to carry out remedial works to that estate. Some months ago, eight houses under council ownership in the estate were approved for external and internal remedial works and 23 of the households in private ownership applied for assistance for external works which was also approved. Reports have been sent by Limerick County Council to the Department setting out the remedial works required to meet the needs of residents and which must comply with current building regulations. I urge the Minister of State to look sympathetically on this request to enable the estate to be put into first class condition, a matter which would be deeply appreciated by the residents.
Local Authority Housing.
Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. N. Ahern)
Glenma housing estate is an estate of 43 houses built by the NBA in 1973. Thirty-five houses are privately owned, having been sold to private purchasers when the estate was originally built, and Limerick County Council owns and rents the remaining eight houses.
The houses were constructed with flat roofs. The first floors are finished with a metal cladding fixed to a timber stud wall which forms the internal frame of the houses. There are various defects with the houses. These include leaking roofs and poor quality external cladding which, in general, is no longer waterproof.
Limerick County Council submitted a proposal to the Department to refurbish the estate under the improvement works in lieu of housing scheme and the remedial works scheme. The proposed works include the provision of new pitched roofs to replace existing flat roofs, the recladding of external walls and the upgrading of windows, external doors and external finishes, rewiring, installation of central heating and some site development works. The improvement works programme allows local authorities to improve or extend privately owned accommodation in lieu of having to rehouse the occupiers involved. This scheme would not be used normally to upgrade an entire estate but this is considered to be an exceptional case and my Department agreed in principle on 14 May 2002 to have the improvement works carried out under this scheme. Under the agreed arrangements, the householders will be required to make repayments for the cost of the works to the local authority based on ability to pay.
I understand that extensive discussions have been held between Limerick County Council and the local residents and that 23 of the households in private ownership are fully supportive of the council's plans for refurbishment in the manner outlined. I also understand that at this time the remaining nine residents are not interested in having refurbishment work carried out on their homes. The plans as they now stand are for works to 23 private residences and eight local authority owned residences. The remaining 12 houses are situated in one block and all are privately owned. I understand that three of these houses are unoccupied and that the council would consider purchasing the units should the remaining nine householders agree to participate in the scheme.
The Department issued approval in principle to the council in February 2004 to progress the refurbishment works to the council owned houses under the remedial works scheme. The latest cost details are currently being examined in the Department. With regard to the privately owned dwellings, the Department also issued approval at that time to the external works proposed and the latest cost details are currently being examined together with a further submission on the proposed internal works to these houses. A decision on these matters will be conveyed to the local authority by my Department as soon as possible.
I listened to what the Senator had to say. I may have more time next week in the Department and I will see if I can speak with the relevant officials with a view to speeding up the examination of those estimates, with a view to getting approval out to the Senator as soon as possible.
I thank the Minister of State for dealing with this urgent matter. It would be appreciated if the work could go to tender and be carried out during the summer months.