COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, February 14, 2011

QUESTION NO.2

QUESTION: Councillor R. Dowds

To ask the Manager to make a statement on the Council's approach to refurbishing Council housing stock which becomes vacant:-

(a) Is such housing stock always renovated?

(b) If so why and could some such properties be left unchanged making money available for housing repairs elsewhere?

REPLY:

Before reletting any vacant houses the Council carries out renovation works to them where necessary to bring them up to letting standard but the amount of work depends on the condition and age of each individual unit.  Each year the Council renovates in the region of 300 houses under the relet repair system.  They are catagorised into three types.

Units under 10 years which are in good condition are usually just given an electrical and mechanical inspection and a general cleanup and redecoration where required.  There is usually a short turnaround time on these units.

The second type is houses which are older and require more work.  This work could include windows and door replacement, upgrading of heating, internal and external repairs including painting and upgrading the woodwork where required. The aim would be to bring to a common quality standard.  The policy of the housing maintenance department is to repair rather than replace but this is not always cost effective. 

The third type is the houses built in the 1970s and early 1980s that are in very poor condition and in need a lot of work. The work in these houses is carried out under the energy programme funded by grant from the Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government.  The grant allocation for 2010 was €850,000. The programme was introduced in 2009 and the Council has upgraded 79 houses under this programme in the last two years.  The Council receives a grant of up to €15,000 for each house that receives a C1 BER rating under this Programme.  The additional work here can include wall and attic insulation, replacement of windows and door and the installation of heating or upgrading of same where required.  

The Council has an extensive €1,000,000 window and door replacement programme in place for 2011.