Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 622: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he will make funds available to Kells Town Council to commence a refurbishment plan (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5025/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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On 8 February 2008, my Department issued approval to Meath County Council, setting out a budget cost of €5,462,702 to proceed with the works to the estate in question. It is now a matter for the Council to progress this project.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 623: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will confirm the month and year his Department received an application for precinct improvement works from a local authority (details supplied); when the local authority may accept a decision that the capital funding allocation has been made in order that it can make arrangements for the necessary and essential work to start; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5047/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Housing Management Initiative, local authorities have been given direct control, from 1 January 2007, in relation to their internal capital receipts from the sale of local authority dwellings, to be used primarily for their improvement works programmes. While my 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 submitted to my Department on 30 March, 2007 and approved on 24 April, 2007.

Prior to the introduction of the new delegated arrangements, proposals on individual projects were submitted to my Department. In this context, Dublin City Council sought approval on 27 September 2006 for precinct improvement works to the development in question. In November 2006 my Department wrote to the Council seeking clarification on a number of issues. Following a response on 24 January 2008, in which the Council sought to reactivate the project on the basis that the outstanding issues had been resolved, my Department wrote to the Council on 8 February 2008 advising that it should now proceed with the improvement works to the complex as set out in its 2007 Improvement Works Programme.