Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)

I thank Deputy Byrne for raising this important issue.

In accordance with the provisions of the Housing Act 1966, the management and maintenance of the social housing stock, including the carrying out of planned maintenance programmes and pre-letting repairs, is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority, in this case, Dublin City Council. Housing maintenance works, including pre-letting repairs, are funded directly by local authorities from their own resources, including from rental income and receipts from the disposal of properties and sales of houses to tenants. It is a matter for each local authority to determine its own spending priorities in the context of the annual budgetary process, having regard to locally identified needs and available resources.

The Deputy will be aware that the adoption of the local authority annual budget is a reserved function. That said, my Department provides substantial capital funding to local authorities to support a wide range of measures aimed at improving the overall quality and standard of social rented dwellings. These measures include a regeneration measure for large social housing estates and flat complexes, an estate-wide remedial works scheme, a retrofitting measure aimed at improving the energy efficiency of older apartments and houses and grants for the provision of extensions or adaptations to meet the needs of local authority tenants with a disability and so on.

Given the constraints on capital budgets for new stock, my Department is now placing greater emphasis on local authority social housing improvement works programmes and on the early return of vacant units to productive use. This year, I allocated some €145 million to local authorities for works to improve the social housing stock, €90 million of which is being provided in respect of the national regeneration programme, a programme which is of particular importance for the physical and social regeneration of deprived areas in Dublin city. A total of €27 million is being provided in respect of 45 estate-wide remedial works schemes in 26 local authorities with a further €10 million earmarked for extensions and adaptations to properties throughout all local authorities.

It is now more important than ever to ensure the existing stock of local authority housing is available and in fit condition to meet housing need. Beginning in 2011, the Department required local authorities to focus the retrofitting programme on bringing vacant stock back into productive use. The 2012 programme will build on the achievements of 2011 when more than 2,600 vacant units were refurbished and made available for re-letting. While local authorities may undertake work on tenanted properties, there is a continuing focus on making vacant properties available for re-letting as quickly as possible. Grants of up to €15,000 per house are generally available for improving the fabric of the house with a further grant of up to €3,000 where additional essential works are needed. Over the course of 2010 and 2011 a total of 4,492 houses were improved. This year a total of €18 million is being provided for improving the quality and energy efficiency of older housing stock around the country.

In the case of Dublin city, I am making more than €62 million available this year to support the various housing programmes in the city council area. This includes more than €40 million for regeneration projects. This funding will meet ongoing commitments in respect of the planning and construction of projects in Ballymun and at a number of locations in the city referred to by Deputy Byrne, including St. Michael's Estate, St. Teresa's Gardens, Dolphin House, O'Devaney Gardens, Croke Villas and Dominick Street.

In addition to the substantial allocation for regeneration works, I will also provide €6 million in 2012 for city council's remedial works programme. This programme provides capital support for estate-wide works to improve the fabric of houses, improve layout and access, address issues such as anti-social behaviour and, where possible, address issues of social exclusion. For example, Liberty House and Bunratty Road Maisonettes will benefit from this allocation. I allocated a further €2.9 million to the city council for energy efficiency and retrofitting works designed to bring vacant stock back into productive use.

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