Vol. 537 No. 3
185 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of applicants who participated under the rural resettlement programme in County Sligo since its inception in 1997; the number of applicants on the waiting list who wish to transfer from urban areas to Sligo; the plans he has to continue with this pilot scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16171/01]
The pilot rural resettlement scheme provided for the building or acquisition of additional local authority houses which could be let to applicants who are on rural resettlement Ireland's waiting list and who wished to transfer from an urban to a rural area. Since the inception of the scheme in 1997 additional starts have been allocated to Clare, Cork (North), Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo and Tipperary (NR) County Councils. To date 46 families have moved under the scheme and it is understood that a further 12 families are due to move shortly.
In regard to Sligo the scheme provided for the acquisition or building by the local authority of two houses in 1998 and a further three houses in 1999. One house was completed and occupied last year.
The pilot scheme is implemented at local level by the local authorities in conjunction with Rural Resettlement Ireland. Local authorities liaise directly with RRI in relation to the allocation of dwellings to households under the rural resettlement programme. A waiting list is maintained by RRI and each local authority, in consultation with RRI or the relevant RRI country resettlement board, selects eligible applicants from the waiting list. Specific data on the composition of the waiting list are not available in my Department.
I propose to continue the scheme and my Department will consider requests from local authorities for additional starts under the scheme, where necessary.
