asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make the necessary funds available for the modernisation of the Limerick local authority houses at Kileely, St. Mary's Park and Prospect.

It is open to Limerick Corporation to apply to my Department for grants, under section 24 of the Housing Act, 1966, for carrying out improvement works to their rented dwellings.

In view, however, of the necessity to conserve existing capital resources for the provision of much needed new houses, there are at present no capital funds at my disposal out of which moneys can be made available to finance the balance of the cost of such works.

The general question of the financing of improvement works to local authority houses is currently under consideration in my Department in the context of the present local authority housing subsidy arrangements, the abolition of rates on domestic dwellings and the recently revised national differential rent and tenant purchase schemes.

Is the Minister aware of the condition of these houses? Is he further aware that they were built in the late thirties and early forties? While they would have been accepted as being up to standard at that time, today they are considered unfit for human habitation. I believe that a request was made to the Minister to fund this type of scheme which would bring these houses up to present-day standards.

State grants are payable towards the work. A request was issued in June 1977 to the corporation for completed applications for grants. A reminder was issued in February 1978 but the applications have not yet come to hand. It is understood that work on the pilot scheme has been completed at an estimated cost of £28,000. The maximum State grant payable to the corporation under the old scheme was £200 per house. Grants under the new scheme operate at the level of £600 per house.

Is the Minister saying that this will be paid to the local authority?

Yes.

Is he aware that they are tenancy houses and that the tenants cannot apply to have their houses modernised?

These grants would be paid to the local authority.

Will a total of £800 be paid in respect of each house? As the Minister is aware, many of them have no bathrooms.

The provision of a water supply and sewerage facilities would mean additional grants.

Therefore, the Minister's Department will consider an application in respect of each house for complete modernisation and will pay the cost?

Yes.