569 Mr. G. Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on extending the scheme to purchase houses (details supplied) in County Cork. [7673/07]

My Department provides funding under the Remedial Works Scheme to refurbish local authority housing. Private houses may be included in a remedial works project where the local authority concerned considers that the undertaking of external works to these dwellings is necessary to avoid an unacceptable or incongruous result to the refurbishment of the estate as a whole. Local authorities may provide up to 50% of the funding to undertake external works to such houses from their Internal Capital Receipts.