12.— (1) The Minister may, for the purposes of the provision of housing services, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, pay to a housing authority, out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas, a grant or subsidy in respect of all or any one or more of the following:

(a) the provision of dwellings or sites by the authority;

(b) the refurbishment of dwellings provided by the authority;

(c) the provision of caravans, or the provision, improvement or management by the authority of sites for caravans referred to in section 13 of the Act of 1988 for persons to whom that section applies;

(d) the acquisition of land for the provision of dwellings or sites;

(e) the provision of ancillary services in connection with the provision or improvement of dwellings or sites;

(f) subject to such regulations as may be made under this section, the provision of assistance to an approved body under section 6 of the Act of 1992;

(g) such measures as may be taken by the housing authority pursuant to its housing services plan for the purposes of improving its housing services;

(h) such measures as may be taken by the housing authority pursuant to its homelessness action plan relating to the provision of assistance under section 10 (b) (i).

(2) A grant or subsidy shall not be paid under this section in respect of a dwelling, site or works unless the relevant dwelling, site or works comply on completion with such conditions, if any, as may, from time to time, be determined by the Minister for the purposes of this section in relation to standards of construction and works and the provision of water, sewerage and other services in dwellings or to sites.

(3) A subsidy under subsection (1) in respect of loan charges incurred in the provision of any of the housing services referred to in that subsection may be made either to the housing authority concerned or, on its behalf, to the person who made the relevant loan in respect of which the loan charges were incurred.

(4) The Minister may make regulations in relation to the payment of a grant or subsidy under subsection (1) (f) providing for all or any one or more of the following:

(a) the class or classes of accommodation in respect of which the grant or subsidy may be paid and the class or classes of households for whom such accommodation is provided;

(b) the amount of the grant or subsidy;

(c) requirements in relation to—

(i) the assistance in respect of which the grant or subsidy may be paid,

(ii) the payment of the grant or subsidy,

(iii) the financial and other circumstances of households occupying accommodation in respect of which the grant or subsidy may be paid,

(iv) the occupation and maintenance of accommodation in respect of which the grant or subsidy may be paid,

(v) the floor area of accommodation in respect of which the grant or subsidy may be paid, measured in such manner as may, from time to time, be determined by the Minister,

(vi) standards of construction, works and repair and the availability in accommodation, in respect of which the grant or subsidy may be paid, of water, sewerage and other services, and

(vii) the payment under any enactment (including this Act) of any other grant, subsidy or assistance in respect of the accommodation concerned.