The results of the statutory assessment of local authority housing need, which was undertaken by local authorities in March 2002, indicated that a total of 48,413 households were in need of housing, compared with 39,176 households in March 1999. Detailed information on the results of the 2002 assessment was published in my Department's September 2002 quarterly edition of the Housing Statistics Bulletin, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.
Local authorities completed or acquired 5,074 housing units in 2002. Details on an individual local authority basis are included in my Department's Annual Housing Statistics Bulletin for 2002. Current indications are that the number of completions-acquisitions in 2003 will be of the order of 5,000 units including output from house completions in Ballymun and under the regeneration programmes. Last year total social and affordable housing activity taking account of new local authority housing, vacancies, output from the voluntary sector and under the other social housing measures, met the needs of over 12,700 households compared to just short of 8,700 units in 2000.