Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the numbers of local authority houses throughout the country that have attic insulation; and the percentage of the current total number of local authority houses that local authority houses with attic insulation make up. [2929/08]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding works being carried out to increase the amounts of local authority houses that have attic insulation. [2930/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 271 together.

The management, maintenance and improvement of their rented dwellings, including the installation of attic insulation 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 attic insulation may form part of the works undertaken. From 1 January 2007, direct control was given to local authorities over their internal capital receipts from the sale of local authority dwellings, to be used primarily for their improvement works programmes, including the installation of attic insulation.

In July 2004, my Department introduced a separate central heating programme in local authority dwellings. In conjunction with the provision of central heating, eligible works must also include, where necessary, measures to ensure the energy efficiency of the dwellings such as attic insulation to Building Regulations standards, draught-proofing to existing windows and external doors, the lagging of exposed pipework and hot water storage cylinders, and the installation of a mains operated smoke alarm.

My Department does not collate information on the number of local authority dwellings with attic insulation. However, since the introduction of the central heating programme, some 19,600 dwellings have benefited from the installation of central heating and related energy improvement measures.