Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
665 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the plans he has to introduce house repair grants in view of the number of houses that need such repairs and the financial impossibility of their owners to carry them out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29058/04]
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The Irish National Survey of Housing Quality 2001-2002, which was commissioned by my Department, indicates that 93% of house owners and 96% of house purchasers are satisfied or very satisfied with the general condition of their accommodation. The fact that the age profile of the housing stock is favourable by international standards, with 43% of the stock having been built since 1980 or 27% built since 1990, also contributes to a reasonable general condition of dwellings.
Local authorities provide grants to private householders for repairs and changes to dwellings in certain circumstances. The improvement works in lieu of rehousing scheme enables local authorities, instead of providing a local authority house, to improve or extend a house not owned by them which is, or will be, occupied by persons in need of local authority housing or by tenants-tenant purchasers who surrender their houses. For households on waiting lists for local authority housing, the scheme enables them to remain in their existing homes and neighbourhood and, at the same time, enjoy proper housing conditions much sooner than they otherwise might.
A further scheme, the special housing aid for the elderly scheme, to cater for the specific needs of the elderly, was established in 1982 to provide assistance by way of necessary emergency repairs and to improve the housing conditions of elderly persons living alone in unfit or insanitary conditions. In 2000 the scheme was extended to include the provision of suitable heating systems where found necessary to meet the needs of elderly persons. The scheme is operated by the health boards in line with the various guidelines issued from time to time by my Department. Funding for the scheme has increased significantly in the past number of years with a provision of €6,348,690 in 1998 and €11,536,000 for 2003. In addition to the provision of €11.6 million for 2004, an additional €4 million was recently made available to the health boards for the operation of the scheme. The scheme is very effective, with the number of jobs completed increasing from 3,302 in year ended 31 December 1998 to 4,169 in year ended 31 December 2003. A further 1,988 jobs were completed by 30 June 2004 and with the additional funding provided it is expected that in excess of 5,000 households will be assisted this year under the scheme.
The essential repairs grant scheme also provides for the payment of a grant to a person carrying out essential repairs to a house where, in the opinion of the housing authority, the repairs, whilst less than those appropriate to render the house fit in every respect, constitute repairs it considers are reasonably necessary to prolong the useful life of the house. The administration of the scheme is a matter for individual local authorities. The Department recoups to local authorities two thirds of their expenditure on the payment of individual grants and it is the responsibility of the authorities to fund the remaining one third from their own resources from amounts provided for that purpose in their annual estimates of expenditure. The scheme is directed primarily at older persons living in poor housing conditions.
My Department financially assists local authorities in upgrading, renovating and redeveloping their housing stock through the remedial works and the regeneration programmes. A provision of €168 million is available in the current year to local authorities for the regeneration and redevelopment of run down estates.
It is intended to continue focusing on these schemes which meet a broad range of needs in terms of house repairs and there are no proposals to introduce a further scheme for this purpose.
