Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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532. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide funding to local authorities for the replacement of timber window frames with PVC (polyvinyl chloride) window frames, due to the poor condition of window frames in local authority units across County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27007/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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Local authorities are currently undertaking an ambitious programme of insulation retrofitting on the least energy efficient social houses, with funding support from my Department. €57 million has been provided over the period 2013-2014 for improving the energy performance of older local authority housing stock, resulting in improved energy efficiency, comfort levels and Building Energy Ratings in over 30,000 local authority homes to date. In May 2015, I announced a further €20m to continue this programme this year.

Phase 1 of this insulation retrofitting programme commenced in June 2013 and is focused on providing attic/roof insulation and cavity wall insulation in all relevant properties. Phase 2 works will include external insulation or dry lining of houses with solid wall or hollow block construction and the replacement of poorly performing single glazed windows and doors.

Phase 2 of the Programme is commencing on a pilot basis in 2015 in 3 local authorities - Fingal, Westmeath and Limerick - and it will be extended to other local authorities following successful completion of the pilot phase.

Donegal County Council has been allocated € 1,207,231 for the Programme in 2015, a significant increase on the 2014 allocation of €624,054.