Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 February 2024
245. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage how his Department supports local authorities to complete maintenance works on council-owned homes in a timely fashion. [7335/24]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority housing stock, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, the implementation of a planned maintenance programme and carrying out of responsive repairs, are matters for each individual local authority under Section 58 of the Housing Act 1966.
Local authorities also have a legal obligation to ensure that all of their tenanted properties are compliant with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations, 2019. Local authority officials and elected members have a very important role to play in this regard by making adequate budgetary provision for housing repairs and cyclical maintenance utilising the significant housing rental income available to them as part of the annual budgetary process.
Notwithstanding the legal obligations on local authorities to manage and maintain their housing stock, my Department does provide annual funding to local authorities to support their work in this area across various programmes.
Under the Planned Maintenance/Voids, funding is available to support local authorities in refurbishing vacant social homes and returning them to productive use. Furthermore funding from my Department under this programme is also available for stock condition surveys and the introduction of an ICT asset management system to support the planned maintenance approach. Budget 2024 has provided €31 million to the programme this year.
Under the Energy Efficiency, my Department funds the carrying out of retrofitting works to local authority dwellings. Works eligible under the programme include attic insulation, wall insulation, the replacement of windows and doors and an efficient renewable heat pump. The measures aim to achieve a BER of B2 or Cost Optimal post works with €90 million available to the programme this year.
Under the Disabled Persons Grant Scheme the Department funds local authorities in carrying out necessary adaptation works to local authority properties to cater for the needs of elderly and disabled tenants and families living in overcrowded conditions. Budget 2024 has provided €25 million to the programme this year.
Under the Regeneration Scheme, the Department funds programmes of estate regeneration in a number of targeted areas around the country. This programme focuses on the remediation and upgrade of existing local authority homes within defined areas of disadvantage and can also provide for some new homes as part of the overall regeneration plan for the area. €50 million is available to this programme in 2024.
Given the very significant investment into the Programmes over recent year’s local authorities are now in a strong position to continue the transition to a strategic and informed planned maintenance approach to stock management and maintenance.
To that end, my Department and local authorities are continuing to progress from a largely response and voids based approach to housing stock management and maintenance, to a planned maintenance approach as referenced in Housing for All, policy objective 20.6. This will require the completion of stock condition surveys by all local authorities and the subsequent development of strategic and informed work programmes in response.
