Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The regeneration of social housing flats is within the parameters of the national regeneration programme, which targets the country's most disadvantaged communities, those defined by the most extreme social exclusion, unemployment and anti-social behaviour, as per housing Circular 11/2007, policy framework for the regeneration of local authority estates. It is the responsibility of local authorities to identify opportunities to advance regeneration programmes in line with this circular within administrative areas. The aim of regeneration projects is to create sustainable communities through a combination of social, educational and economic initiatives and also by rejuvenating the built environment through a mixture of demolition, construction and refurbishment of dwellings.

The Department is willing to fund local authorities for much of this investment. Local authorities, in developing their regeneration programmes, are required to adopt a holistic and strategic approach involving multiple local and national agencies in an integrated scheme to create sustainable communities and to address the underlying causes of deprivation in the area. The Department and the Minister fully support regeneration projects, which ensure that complexes with historical disadvantages are placed at the forefront of regeneration. Multi-year programmes are being funded for large-scale regeneration projects which concentrate on flat complexes in Dublin city that will either be rebuilt or retrofitted. The Department is actively engaging with the local authority sector to promote the preventative maintenance of local authority housing stock and provide significant funding for stock improvement to our works. With the support of Dublin City Council, the focus remains on regeneration projects which target the most disadvantaged communities, including those defined by the most extreme social exclusion, unemployment and anti-social behaviour. I will convey the points the Deputy raised to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. There is total agreement across the House to ensure the flat complexes that Deputy Costello mentioned see progress. I will certainly reflect that view to the Minister.

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