asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a provision to enable local authorities to provide additional bedroom accommodation in local authority houses.
10.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Authority Housing.
7.
asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make extra funds available to local authorities to enable them to provide bathroom-shower facilities for 1,181 local authority houses and 1,500 local authority flats at present without these basic amenities.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 10 together. Loan finance is available from my Department to enable local authorities to carry out certain improvements including the provision of bathrooms or showers, or extra bedrooms, to their rented dwellings. It is a matter for individual authorities to submit specific proposals if they wish to avail of this assistance. Local authorities and their tenants may also qualify for house improvement grants for such work from my Department.
In view of the Government's policy and its success in regard to the reduction in the housing waiting list in the Dublin Corporation area, and the surplus of houses now available in Tallaght, would the Minister encourage Dublin Corporation to divert funds, or to use funds not now being used for house building in Tallaght, to provide bathroom facilities for the 1,181 local authority houses and the 1,500 local authority flats in Dublin city which do not have bathrooms?
I should like to see this problem addressed. As I said earlier today, loan finance has been available during the past number of years but Dublin Corporation have not drawn down the full amount available to them. I am particularly anxious that discussions in the local authority involving their allocation for 1987 would include specific allocations for living units which do not have bathing facilities. There has been a recent corporation communication which outlines the problems facing them in relation to their inner city staff. Unfortunately, there is no specific proposal in relation to the matter which the Deputy has raised in connection with any particular scheme.
Is the Minister aware that in County Galway there are some local authority houses, some with two bedrooms and some with three, occupied by large families, some with eight and nine children, in respect of which applications to the local authority for house extensions have been refused on the grounds that the local authorities are not authorised to build extensions to existing houses, that they are only authorised to build new houses? Would the Minister care to comment on that, because a large number of families in County Galway are affected?
I am not aware of it. If that system is being operated by the local authorities it is incorrect.
Does the Minister realise that there are 1,181 local authority houses in Dublin city and 1,500 flats all without bathrooms? These houses and flats are located in areas of the city where the infrastructure of schools, shops, churches and bus services are available, and does the Minister not think it is desirable that these houses should be updated in such a way that the communities will continue to live in these areas, accordingly using the infrastructures provided at great expense by the State? Would the Minister encourage Dublin Corporation to do everything possible in this regard to provide these facilities?
I have indicated that I think this is a problem that needs to be addressed urgently. I indicated a considerable time ago to Dublin Corporation my desire to see specific proposals for a programme to upgrade the corporation's older housing stock, particularly in the inner city area, but no proposals of a specific nature have been put to the Department. I would be most anxious to hear from the local authority about specific proposals to provide what I regard as basic facilities in the corporation's existing stock, bearing in mind the new units in the city that are unoccupied, some of them not even let for the first time.
Is the Minister aware that I have communicated with the Department about a number of the type of cases I referred to earlier? I have an acknowledgment of my most recent communication but there has not been any improvement in the position because the local authority have not changed their policy and have not been notified by the Department to do so. I would be grateful to the Minister if he made a clear statement on whether the local authority are authorised by the Department and whether any money has been provided for this purpose.
I am aware of a recent communication from the Deputy but I cannot recall earlier correspondence from him. I will be replying to the Deputy in full in the next few days, outlining the position.