Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will list the local authorities or summarise the percentage of local authorities which include family income supplement payments in their rent assessment scheme; if he can bring standardisation to this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29067/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not hold information on the number of housing authorities which include or disregard family income supplement payments in their differential rent schemes.

The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002 of 6 March 2002. It is a matter for local authorities, when assessing individual households, to consider whether rents payable are in accordance with the authority's rent scheme. Therefore, decisions on whether or not to disregard either a proportion of income or particular sources of income for the purposes of calculating rents are matters for each individual local authority to consider in accordance with their own rent scheme.

Notwithstanding this, in the context of new provisions provided for by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, I intend to make regulations later this year which will more clearly set out the matters that may be included in a local rents scheme.

Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will refer to the special central heating grant scheme which was operated via Dublin City Council and approved by the housing section of his Department a few years ago; if he will confirm if the evaluation of the previous scheme has been completed; if it proved cost effective and met the target group of the elderly; the current position with this scheme; and if further pilots or a national scheme will be introduced. [29069/10]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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At my Department's request, the Centre for Housing Research carried out an evaluation of the pilot central heating and insulation scheme for older people which was approved by my Department in May 2007. The scheme was targeted at 150 privately owned homes occupied by people aged sixty five and over, with annual incomes of €30,000 or less, in the Ballyfermot, Whitehall and Crumlin areas of Dublin. The evaluation report is currently under examination in my Department. Any decision on an extension of the pilot scheme must await the outcome of this examination.