Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Wall for raising the issue of the proposed necessary refurbishment of the social housing scheme at McCauley Court, adjacent to the grounds of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Athy, County Kildare. As the Senator is aware, the age-friendly social housing development was initially funded under the Department of housing’s capital assistance scheme approximately 30 years ago. The development provided ten high-quality new homes at that time, with eight one-bed bungalows and two two-bed bungalows to cater for elderly residents. In addition to the ten homes, there is a communal facility with an activity room and laundry facilities.

I understand that the approved housing body originally involved in this development, Athy Voluntary Housing Association, ceased operation, which unfortunately resulted in some of the homes becoming vacant and all of the homes requiring significant capital investment to make them fit for purpose for intended tenants.As the Senator will be aware, there is no shortage of capital at the moment. The difficulty relates to delivery and making things happen. Thanks to the work of Kildare County Council, however, I understand that another AHB, Tinteán Carlow Voluntary Housing Association, is to take over the operation of the housing scheme under a lease arrangement with Kildare County Council. In the context of this new management arrangement, which I assume it is working quickly to deliver, the council requested that the Department of housing provide additional funding to upgrade the properties, which it has done.

Given that the site where the houses are located is, as the Senator mentioned, part-owned by both the HSE and Kildare County Council, the takeover and completion of the refurbishment works by Tinteán can only occur once the HSE transfers its portion of the site to Kildare County Council. I understand that this process is now in train and that it also involves some land owned by Kildare County Council being transferred to the HSE. I hope it will be done efficiently and in an extraordinarily timely way in recognition of the necessity for the development of housing and how inexplicable it would be for it to be done slowly. Legal aspects can take time to be finalised, but that is not an excuse for leaving things go for a long time.

On the upgrade to the properties that the Department of housing is funding with Kildare County Council, the following are the intended main works: energy upgrade works to include the replacement of windows and the heating system and dry-lining external walls; mechanical and electrical works to include rewiring the homes and installing mechanical ventilation; the replacement of internal fittings and finishes to include the replacement of kitchens, bathrooms, floor coverings and internal doors and redecoration; and the replacement of external fittings to include the replacement of fascia, soffits and downpipes and carrying out necessary repairs to the roof.

The Department of housing is providing capital funding of more than €900,000 for these works. The funding approval is welcome but, as the Senator knows, it is all about delivery. I understand that once the site transfers have been concluded, which I hope will be soon, Tinteán will be in a position to procure a design team and thereafter proceed to tender for the works.

Here is yet another example of the need for a more streamlined, efficient delivery of service.