Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 13 Feb 1996

Vol. 461 No. 4

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Eric J. Byrne

Ceist:

133 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for the Environment if he intends to make further funding available to the local authorities in order to allow them to build additional bedrooms for existing tenants of local authorities with a view to alleviating overcrowding thereby resulting in the tenants removing their names off housing transfer lists; if his attention has been drawn to a pilot scheme carried out by Dublin Corporation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3208/96]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment (Ms McManus)

Funding for the scheme to provide extensions to local authority houses announced in Social Housing—The Way Ahead, will be included in the 1996 capital allocations for the local authority housing programme which will be notified to authorities as soon as possible.

Each housing authority has been asked to assess the potential of the scheme to meet housing needs in its area and to draw up a programme of works to be carried out under the scheme. The execution of works to individual houses is entirely the responsibility of the authorities who require departmental approval only where the costs ceiling of £17,000 per house is being exceeded.