Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that capital funds given to a voluntary housing organisation (details supplied) are used to carry out refurbishment works on their housing stock, in the first instance, particularly regarding the necessity to install central heating. [12532/11]

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Under my Department's funding schemes for voluntary and co-operative housing projects, funding of up to 100% of the approved cost of accommodation is made available to approved housing bodies for the provision of social rented accommodation for people with special housing needs and for low-income families. My Department's involvement with voluntary and co-operative housing schemes relates primarily to the provision of funds for the construction or acquisition of dwellings. The detailed administration of the schemes, and the certification that projects comply with the terms and conditions of the funding schemes, are the responsibility of the local authority.

Approved housing bodies are responsible for the proper management and maintenance of dwellings provided under the terms of the schemes. Such costs are met from the resources of the housing body, including from rental income from tenants. In the case of standard accommodation for low-income families provided under the Capital Loan and Subsidy Scheme, an annual management and maintenance allowance is paid to the approved housing bodies in respect of each dwelling funded under the scheme. Apart from this annual subsidy, no capital funding is provided by my Department in respect of refurbishment works to voluntary and co-operative housing stock.