Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 12: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the percentage of the resources allocated to the Ballymun regeneration programme, Dublin, that has been spent on the salaries of the top management and on consultants; if the same percentage will prevail in the Limerick regeneration programme; his views on the high fees charged and the excessive salaries paid to the directors and management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23965/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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To date, and on the basis of an Exchequer investment of some €695 million, the Ballymun Regeneration Project has provided for 2,955 new housing units, new parks, roads and community facilities, as well as various social and economic interventions. Oversight of the regeneration by Ballymun Regeneration Limited, now in its completion phase, is the responsibility of a management team of five, led by a Managing Director at Assistant City Manager level. All members of the team are paid in accordance with local government pay scales with a cost to date of €5.9 million or 0.85% of the total project cost.

As with all projects of this nature and complexity, outside consultants have been required for various planning, design and research activities. As part of the original budget approval for the regeneration, my Department capped this cost at 10% of the total project cost. To date, services to the value of €55.7 million, or 8% of the project cost, have been provided.

It is my Department's intention to reduce this figure further including by better utilising resources within the local government system. This is also the case with the Limerick Regeneration Programme, the delivery of which is due to become the responsibility of an integrated local authority for Limerick City and County.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the status of the St. Teresa's Gardens, Dublin, application for regeneration funding. [24112/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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The Government remains fully committed to the regeneration of the most-disadvantaged areas of our cities and towns, including St. Teresa's Gardens. In 2008, with support from my Department, Dublin City Council established a multidisciplinary Special Housing Taskforce to examine all options with regard to the future regeneration of the six former PPP projects and in particular to examine the fast-tracking of the relocation of households to facilitate future regeneration. This process has been ongoing since then and has seen a significant reduction in the number of occupied units at St. Teresa's Gardens from 346 to 185. To support this work, my Department has provided funding of €4.85 million to date with further funding available from within the City Council's regeneration allocation.

The City Council is now required to prepare a masterplan that gives consideration to social and economic regeneration, as well as physical improvements. I understand that as part of this process, the Council is looking to the consolidation of the existing site, engagement with the voluntary housing sector, and the potential for refurbishment as well as rebuilding. In the shorter term, the City Council is undertaking a survey of the housing stock to ascertain current conditions for households still living there, and will engage with my Department on ways of addressing any deficiencies once the results of the survey are known.