Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Nov 1999

Vol. 510 No. 3

Written Answers. - House Refurbishment Grants.

Willie Penrose

Ceist:

286 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will introduce a tightly focused and targeted grant scheme for the refurbishment and renewal of old or derelict houses which would be income related, unavailable to speculators and with a ceiling on the maximum grant available of £15,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22412/99]

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

There are a number of tightly focused and targeted grant schemes currently available to assist especially vulnerable groups such as lower income households and elderly persons to secure necessary improvement works to their homes and I continue to keep these under review. They include the disabled persons and essential repairs grant scheme, the terms of which I improved substantially last year, the scheme of improvement works in lieu of local authority housing and the Task Force on Special Housing Aid for the Elderly.

I have no proposals to introduce a house improvement grant scheme for the refurbishment and renewal of old or derelict houses on a general basis. Any consideration of the introduction of a generally available scheme of house improvement grants must have regard to the capacity constraints in the construction sector with consequent likely impacts of such a scheme on costs of house improvement works.