Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government in view of the constraints facing local authorities, and the number of unoccupied local authority houses, if he will examine the pre-letting conditions which local authorities must attain in advance of letting houses, particularly in relation to energy ratings; if he will consider allowing tenants of local authority houses apply to the relevant agencies themselves for financial assistance to insulate their houses, with the occupiers contribution being paid partially or wholly in lieu of rent for an agreed period of time with the local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30182/12]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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In accordance with the provisions of the Housing Act, 1966, the provision and management of dwellings, including the carrying out of planned maintenance programmes and pre-letting repairs, is the responsibility of the relevant housing authority. Housing maintenance works, including pre-letting repairs, are funded directly by local authorities from their own resources, including from rental income and receipts from the disposal of properties and sales of houses to tenants.

Under my 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, including the regeneration of large social housing estates and flat complexes, estate wide remedial works schemes, a retrofitting measure to improve the energy efficiency of older apartments and houses and funding for extensions and adaptations to meet the needs of tenants with a disability etc. Given the constraints on capital budgets for new stock, my Department has in recent years placed a greater emphasis on local authority social housing improvement works programmes and on the early return of vacant units to productive use.

A total of €18 million is being provided this year for improving the quality and energy efficiency of older housing stock. Beginning in 2011, my Department required local authorities to focus the energy retrofitting programme on bringing vacant stock back into productive use. The 2012 programme will build on the achievements of 2011 when more than 2,600 vacant units were refurbished and made available for re-letting. While local authorities may undertake work on tenanted properties, there is a continuing focus on making vacant properties available for re-letting as quickly as possible. Grants of up to €15,000 per house are generally available for improving the fabric of the house with a further grant of up to €3,000 where additional essential works are needed. Over the course of 2010 and 2011 a total of 4,492 houses were improved.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), which falls under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, provides a range of grant supports to homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their dwellings, reduce emissions and improve comfort levels. However, these measures do not apply to tenants of local authority houses and any proposal to extend the benefits of these schemes to local authority tenants is, in the first instance, a matter for the Minister concerned.

I intend to review the operation of the Social Housing Improvement Works Programme, including the energy efficiency measure, with a view to possible changes aimed at improving the targeting and overall effectiveness of the various measures. This review will include issues like co-ordinating the carrying out of pre-letting repairs and installation of attic and wall insulation in older properties.