Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Jun 2002

Vol. 553 No. 2

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Jerry Cowley

Ceist:

646 Mr. Cowley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department has carried out a monitoring exercise in order to reveal the effectiveness or otherwise of the initiative for housing for returning emigrants via the safe home programme; if his Department will carry out a monitoring exercise, if it has not to date done so; if his Department will remind housing authorities throughout the country of the expectation that they will wholeheartedly embrace the initiative; if he will call upon housing authorities throughout the country to inform his Department of the steps they have taken towards delivering on the initiative; and if in the event of all of the above failing to deliver housing to returning emigrants, he will request that the original document be re-drafted in order to strengthen its effectiveness. [13708/02]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

My Department amended the terms of the voluntary housing capital assistance scheme in November 2001 to provide that up to 25% of accommodation in new projects undertaken under the scheme may be allocated to elderly emigrants returning to this country who satisfy eligibility criteria drawn up in connection with the Safe Home programme. Allocation of accommodation under the amended scheme is not contingent on persons being included or accepted for inclusion in the housing authority assessment of housing need. Instead, specified conditions in relation to their present circumstances and inclusion in the Safe Home waiting list are relevant. This obviates the need for elderly emigrants to have returned before they are considered for voluntary housing under the programme.

It is a matter for the relevant voluntary housing body to select suitable candidates from the Safe Home waiting list in consultation with Safe Home and the housing authority concerned. My Department has already asked housing authorities to facilitate approved voluntary housing bodies in operating the amended scheme. Officials of my Department, in the course of direct contact with relevant officials of housing authorities, request that they encourage individual voluntary housing bodies undertaking sheltered housing projects under the capital assistance scheme to provide for the needs of returning elderly emigrants. Formal monitoring of the scheme will be initiated shortly by my Department.