Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 31 Mar 1999

Vol. 503 No. 1

Written Answers. - Housing Grants.

Liam Aylward

Ceist:

109 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if the decision will be reconsidered not to have improvement grants made available to persons (details supplied) in County Kilkenny living in residential areas who are mainly old age pensioners, single parents and unemployed persons and are not in a position to avail of tax incentives proposed in the integrated area plan submitted by Kilkenny County Council in March 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9381/99]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

I have no proposals to make house improvement grants available on the basis suggested.

However there are a number of possible options currently available which are targeted at assisting low income and other households to secure necessary improvement works to their housing. These include disabled persons' grants from local authorities. Significant improvements to the terms of this scheme were announced in the 1999 budget, including a 50 per cent increase in the effective maximum grant from £8,000 to £12,000 with the grant now covering up to three-quarters of the cost of works to private houses as against two-thirds previously; the essential repairs grant scheme under which local authorities have traditionally assisted elderly people in unfit houses in rural areas. This scheme was also significantly improved in the 1999 budget with the effective maximum grant being increased from £1,800 to £4,500 and the scheme now operates in urban, as well as rural, areas; the Task Force on Special Housing Aid for the Elderly which has been allocated record funding of £6 million in 1999; the scheme of improvement works in lieu of local authority housing which enabled local authorities to carry out necessary improvement works to a private house as an alternative to the provision of local authority housing, and local authority house improvement loans of up to £6,000 unsecured and £15,000 secured.