Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will put in place guidelines for the detenanting of social housing complexes undergoing renovation to ensure that remaining tenants are not left vulnerable and isolated. [29479/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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My Department supports a number of large-scale regeneration and estate-wide remedial works schemes around the country, involving the demolition or extensive refurbishment of existing flat blocks and houses and the provision of replacement housing either on-site or in adjacent areas. In these cases, de-tenanting will generally be necessary in order to facilitate the demolition and reconstruction phases of projects.

Funding is provided by my Department to support a range of permanent and temporary housing options for affected tenants, including the purchase of houses and apartments, the upgrading of existing vacant housing units to provide interim accommodation or the short-term leasing of properties under the Rental Accommodation Scheme.

It is the responsibility of the relevant local authority to draw up, in consultation with tenants and the local community, a detailed regeneration masterplan for the area in question. De-tenanting and relocation strategies are an integral part of the masterplan and should set out, inter alia, how the physical regeneration plan will be implemented and how tenants will be accommodated during the demolition and construction phases of the project. De-tenanting and relocation implementation plans are project-specific and compiled in consultation with relevant stakeholders including tenants and the local community. In considering projects for funding approval, my Department is mindful of the need to ensure that de-tenanting strategies are appropriate and well-managed and that, as far as possible, households are not further disadvantaged through unsatisfactory implementation of agreed strategies.