John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for my late attendance. I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy.

I am pleased to say that I have good news in regard to this scheme in Mullaghmatt. The Department approved the fourth and final part of the scheme to go to tender in March. Tenders have now been received by Monaghan County Council and are being examined with a view to submission of a tender report and recommendation as soon as possible to the Department for approval. I can assure the Senator that whatever proposals are received from the county council will be examined as quickly as possible by the Department and there will be no delay in a response issuing to Monaghan County Council.

Approval of the tender recommendation should allow the county council to get works commenced later this year. The estimated cost of stage 4 is €2.9 million. Overall, this scheme has a long history, with almost €10 million having been already invested in phases 1, 2 and 3 of the scheme involving the carrying out of remedial works to local authority and privately-owned houses. A pilot refurbishment project was approved in August 2004. Works on this phase, which included the provision of new windows and doors, installation of central heating and associated insulation and wiring, etc., were completed in November 2006 at a final cost of in the region of €3.2 million. Phase 2 was approved in May 2009, with works completed in 2012 at a final cost of €5.4 million. A substantial element of phase 3 of the scheme was the provision of an access road to the front-door of a number of houses in the estate. Funding of over €1.3 million was approved for this work and it has now been completed. When the overall scheme is completed, inclusive of phase 4, improvements will have been carried out to 180 houses.

I reiterate that the Department will deal expeditiously with the tender report for phase 4 on its receipt from Monaghan County Council.