Costello welcomes €91 million investment in housing

28 May 2015

by Cllr Joe Costello

I welcome today’s announcement by Alan Kelly, Minister for the Environment, Community, and Local Government, of a more than €91 million investment in housing.  The funding will be used to make more social housing available, improve housing for older people and people with disabilities and retrofit homes to improve energy efficiency.

More than 1,000 vacant social housing units will be refurbished and tenanted by people on the social housing waiting list at a cost of over €20 million.  In Dublin City Council, 234 homes will be refurbished at a cost of almost €4.5 million.  It is unacceptable to have houses boarded up when there are so many people desperate for a home of their own.  This funding will help ensure that existing social housing is available to those who need it.

Secondly, for 2015 almost €6.3 million has been allocated to the Dublin City Council area for Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability.  These grants are used to carry out necessary repairs and improvements to people’s homes, such as installing ramps and stair lifts, modifying bathrooms and building extensions.  With these grants, older people and people with a disability will be able complete work to their home that will improve their quality of life and allow them to lead independent lives.

Thirdly, for 2015 more than €1m has been allocated to Dublin City Council for Home Adaptation and Extension works for local authority tenants. 

Finally, €20 million has been allocated for the improvement of local authority houses to make them more energy efficient, with more than €1.3 million of this going to Dublin City Council.  This programme will sustain and create jobs while making a significant contribution to Ireland’s carbon emissions and energy reduction targets for 2020, resulting in warmer, more comfortable homes and lower energy bills.