Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 793: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department approves the practice of local authorities placing a surcharge on local authority tenants in respect of installation of heaters and cookers in local authority houses; his views on the high level of interest charges imposed on these surcharges; and if he is proposing to take action to require local authorities to desist from these sharp practices. [22102/05]

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The management, maintenance and improvement of their rented dwellings, including the installation of central heating is primarily the responsibility of local authorities to be financed from their own resources. In addition, where capital funding is provided under remedial or regeneration schemes operated by my Department for upgrading local authority dwellings, the provision of central heating may form part of the works undertaken.

My Department introduced a separate central heating programme in local authority rented dwellings in July 2004. As part of the programme, local authorities were advised of the need for an annual maintenance contract for central heating and that this should be agreed with a tenant prior to commencement of works. Local authorities were also advised to take especial care to ensure that the running costs and maintenance charges were within the means of individual tenants and that the programme of works included energy efficiency measures to assist in this regard.