Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Question 119: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if Dublin City Council has applied for funding for 2012 under the retrofit programme to bring residential stock in Dublin city up to an average BER rating of C1; if he will ensure funding will be made available to the city council if any such application is made. [38138/11]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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In line with overall national policy which promotes a reduction in energy use, the enhancement of energy efficiency standards remains a priority within my Department's overall strategy for the improvement of local authority housing.

Under the Department's Social Housing Investment Programme, local authorities are allocated capital funding each year in respect of a range of measures to improve the standard and overall quality of their social housing stock. The programme includes a retrofitting measure aimed at improving the energy efficiency of older apartments and houses by reducing heat loss through the fabric of the building and the installation of high-efficiency condensing boilers. It is a matter for local authorities to select the properties to be upgraded, within the allocation provided, and to determine the nature and the scale of the works to be undertaken in each case.

The capital allocation for the Improvement Works Programme for next year will be determined as soon as possible following the conclusion of the 2012 estimates process. My Department will be writing to local authorities shortly requesting details of the progress achieved in 2011 and an outline of the proposed work programme for 2012.