Michael Ring
Ceist:196 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will provide the £2 million necessary to provide central heating for elderly people who live in local authority houses in County Mayo. [17399/00]
Written Answers. - Housing Aid for the Elderly.
In July 1999, my Department sanctioned, on a once-off basis, the use of £800,000 internal capital receipts by Mayo County Council to fund the provision of central heating in their rented houses occupied by elderly persons.
A separate application has been made by the council for capital funding of £2 million to undertake a widespread programme of improvement works to its entire housing stock. There are no funds available to my Department for the carrying out of such a programme.
The management, maintenance and improvement of their existing rented dwellings, including the installation of central heating, is the responsibility of local authorities to be defrayed from their own resources. For this purpose, they may utilise 100% of rental income, together with other funding from their revenue accounts, including certain proportions of the proceeds of the sale of local authority houses to tenants under previous tenant purchase schemes.