12.—(1) The Minister may, on application by a housing authority and subject to subsection (2) F8[and (8)], determine that a group of houses provided by the authority shall be houses to which this section applies.

(2) A determination under subsection (1) shall be made only where the group of houses consists wholly or partly of houses of which the authority are the owner and which—

(a) are in need of reconstruction by reason of defects in their design or construction, or of deterioration due to age, or

(b) otherwise require works which, in the opinion of the Minister, are reasonably necessary for the purpose of rendering the houses more suitable for human habitation.

(3) A housing authority may, with the consent of the Minister, carry out reconstruction or improvement works to a house included in a group of houses to which this section applies where that house has been sold or leased by the authority.

(4) Where a housing authority carry out works to a house by virtue of subsection (3), they shall require the owner or lessee of the house to make such contribution as the authority may see fit or the Minister may direct towards the costs incurred by the authority.

(5) A contribution due to a housing authority under subsection (4) shall be recoverable by them as a simple contract debt in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(6) The Minister may specify such requirements as he sees fit in relation to the carrying out of environmental or ancillary works in respect of houses to which this section applies.

(7) This section shall be deemed to have come into operation on the 2nd day of October, 1984.

F8[ (8) (a) This section shall not apply to apartments in a designated apartment complex.

(b) For the purposes of paragraph (a), “apartments” and “designated apartment complex” have the same meaning as they have in section 50 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. ]