Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2021
88. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of local authority homes by local authority area in which asbestos is present in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56338/21]
View answer89. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the steps he has taken to address the presence of low-risk asbestos containing materials in local authority homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56339/21]
View answer90. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his attention has been drawn to the presence of asbestos-containing materials at local authority homes in Mullaghmatt, County Monaghan; if so, if his Department has engaged with the local authority to ensure that these asbestos containing materials do not pose a danger to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56340/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 89 and 90 together.
Local authorities are responsible for the maintenance, repair or refurbishment of their own housing stock, in line with Section 28 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. It is important in that context, that local authorities ensure that their housing stocks comply with relevant standards.
My Department is not directly involved in the situation of ‘Asbestos Containing Materials’ in social homes at Mullaghmatt Estate but I understand that Monaghan County Council has been dealing with this matter as per their responsibilities in this regard. Similarly my Department does not have data on the presence, if any, of such materials in the housing stock owned by other local authority authorities. Further information in relation to Monaghan County Council's housing stock should be available from the Council itself, as should information on other social housing stock from the relevant local authorities.
Notwithstanding the legal obligations on local authorities, my Department is committed to supporting them in the optimum management and maintenance of their housing stock and in line with commitments set out in Housing for All, is working with them to transition from a largely response-based approach, to a strategic planned maintenance approach based on stock condition surveys. A national standardised stock condition survey template has been agreed with the local authority sector and as part of such surveys, the presence of asbestos would be identified.
