Vol. 555 No. 1
184 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has received proposals from An Bord Gáis for the provision of central heating to local authority houses; if so, if he has examined the proposals; if he has made a decision on the proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17549/02]
203 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his Department will fund local authorities wishing to install central heating in the homes of elderly tenants who cannot afford to do so themselves; and if he will make provision for such a scheme. [17574/02]
230 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will provide funding for Cork City Council to provide central heating for homes of tenants which do not have this facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17611/02]
257 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the amount of funding granted to each local authority in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 for the installation of central heating in tenants' homes; the amount granted for 2002 for the installation of central heating in tenants' homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17642/02]
289 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government his proposals to provide assistance to older people to install central heating in their dwellings; and if there are schemes available for this purpose. [17677/02]
347 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of local authority houses without a central heating system; and the measures including funding or grants he proposes in order to tackle this hardship for sections of society. [17753/02]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 184, 203, 230, 257, 289 and 347 together.
It is estimated that in the region of 45,000 existing local authority rented dwellings lack a central heating system. Since 1994, my Department has required that central heating be provided during construction in new local authority dwellings and included in the overall cost of the schemes.
The management, maintenance and improvement of their rented dwellings, including the installation of central heating, is in principle the responsibility of local authorities to be financed from their own resources. However, where capital funding is provided under remedial or regeneration schemes operated by my Department for the upgrading of local authority dwellings, the provision of central heating may form part of the works undertaken. Local authorities may also seek on a case by case basis approval to use internal capital receipts, which are in excess of the requirements of their programmes for the provision of local authority houses and the remedial works scheme, for improvement works such as the provision of central heating to their dwellings.
Private householders are responsible for any works they may wish to undertake to their dwellings. There are a number of options currently available to assist lower income householders, and elderly persons in particular, to secure necessary improvement works to their houses. These include the local authority house improvement loan scheme, the disabled persons and essential repairs grant schemes, improvement works in lieu of local authority housing and the task force on special housing aid for the elderly.
Apart from the above, there is no specific mechanism available from my Department to fund the installation of central heating in local authority or private dwellings generally.
