Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 754: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when a decision will be reached on the proposal submitted by Dublin City Council to his Department in September 2006 for a precinct improvement scheme for houses (details supplied) in Dublin 4; the reason it has taken nine months for a decision to be reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17195/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Under the Housing Management Initiative, direct control has been given to local authorities from 1 January 2007 over their internal capital receipts from the sale of local authority dwellings, to be used primarily for their improvement works programmes. While the Department approves the overall programmes it is the responsibility of local authorities to prioritise and advance individual projects. The overall programme proposed by Dublin City Council was approved by my Department on 24 April, 2007 and a meeting is scheduled with the Council for 27 June to discuss the progress on the programme.

Prior to the introduction of the new delegated arrangements, proposals on individual projects were submitted to the Department. In this context, Dublin City Council sought approval on 27 September, 2006 for precinct improvement works to the development in question. The Department replied on 13 November seeking clarification on a number of issues. A follow up letter of 20 November sought the Council's views on the implications for the proposal of legal proceedings regarding the sale of flats that had been the subject of media coverage.

Subsequently, Dublin City Council wrote to the Department on 6 December 2006 indicating that since the carrying out of improvement works would involve detenanting and temporary re-location of tenants, and as the authority was currently preparing a sales scheme for the flats, they were not prepared to consider carrying out extensive internal improvements.

The advancement of this project is a matter for Dublin City Council in light of its consideration of these issues.