I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
Just about two years ago I introduced in this House the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, 1932, initiating the Government's Housing programme. The progress made since then in the provision of houses has justified, even I am sure in the eyes of our most severe critics, the Government's claim that the Bill provided a solution to a social problem which had baffled previous Administrations. The unparalleled success of the Housing programme is shown in the work accomplished during the brief period since the Act of 1932 passed into law. Since then 11,692 houses have actually been pleted, 15,836 houses are in progress and 7,120 houses are about to be begun, tenders having been accepted or invited for them. This makes a total of 34,648 houses either completed, in progress or about to be begun and the magnitude of this work can be gauged when I remind the House that as against these 34,648 houses provided for during a period of two years only 26,000 houses were provided by the previous Administration during a period of ten years.
In addition to the 34,648 houses completed, in progress or about to be begun there are 5,555 houses in respect of which lands have been acquired and plans approved and 6,744 houses included in schemes at present being prepared. This makes the total of 46,947 houses under proposals initiated during the past two years. The figures I have quoted include the activities of local authorities and I have mentioned these simply to give a complete picture of the work which has been accomplished and is in prospect by the Government. The Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Bill, 1934, which I propose for Second Reading to-day, deals mainly with the provision of houses by private persons and public utility societies and I do not propose, therefore, to go further into the question of the activities of local authorities for whom provision still exists under the parent Act.
It has become necessary to introduce the present Bill because the sum of £700,000 provided under the Act of 1932, for the payment of grants under Section 5 of the Act has been exhausted in the allocations made to private persons and public utility societies. Further, under the Act of 1932 houses provided by private persons and public utility societies must be completed before the 1st April, 1935, to qualify for grants. The proposals of the present Bill are to extend to the 1st April, 1937, the date for the completion of houses by private persons and public utility societies and to provide a further sum of £700,000 for the payment of grants in respect of the houses.
For the convenience of the House I will deal in detail with the activities of private persons and public utility societies up to date. Section 5 of the Act of 1932 enabled the payment of grants to private persons and public utility societies for the provision of houses in urban or rural areas and to small farmers and agricultural labourers for the reconstruction of their dwellings. To date grants have been allocated to private persons and public utility societies in respect of:— 4,361 new houses in urban areas, 5,853 new houses in rural areas, and 4,655 houses for reconstruction, making a total of 14,869 houses in all, of which 5,580 have actually been completed, the remainder being in progress. Of the total number of houses in respect of which grants have been allocated about 75 per cent. have been or are being provided by private persons and 25 per cent. have been or are being provided by public utility societies. In urban areas the bulk of the allocations are to private persons only about 17 per cent. being provided by public utility societies but in rural areas about 50 per cent. of the new houses are being provided by public utility societies. Of the new houses being provided in rural areas where it will be remembered special grants are available for houses for small farmers and agricultural labourers 46 per cent. are being provided by small farmers whose valuation does not exceed £15, 8 per cent. by small farmers whose valuation exceeds £15 but does not exceed £25, 15 per cent. by agricultural labourers and 31 per cent. by other persons of the rural community. Under the reconstruction provisions of the Act it is found that over 90 per cent. of the houses are being reconstructed by small farmers.
In the present Bill it is proposed so far as urban areas are concerned to continue the sliding scale of grants introduced under the parent Act and to this end the grant of £50 at present available will be continued in respect of houses completed up to the 1st April, 1936, but will be reduced to £45 in respect of houses completed on or after that date but before the 1st April, 1937. The object of this sliding scale is to encourage expedition in the provision of houses in urban areas where difficulties and delays experienced in the rural areas do not exist. In rural areas the grants available under the parent Act will remain unaltered but the time for the completion of houses will be extended to 1st April, 1937.
Under paragraph (i) of sub-section (1) of Section 5 of the Act of 1932, provision was made for the erection of houses by public utility societies in urban areas for letting at rents approved by the Minister. Public utility societies have been slow to avail of these grants and only a small number of houses has been provided under this special provision. It is understood, however, that certain public utility societies have proposals under consideration and it is proposed, therefore, under the Bill to continue the time for the completion of houses under this paragraph to the 1st April, 1937. Paragraph (j) of sub-section (1) of Section 5 of the Act of 1932, enabled the payment of grants to local authorities and philanthropic societies for the renovation of tenements. Difficulties have been experienced by local authorities in securing suitable properties at reasonable cost and in an experimental case compulsory purchase has been resorted to by the local authority. It is hoped to secure good results from the initial experiment and the grants will be continued.
Much good work is being done by public utility societies in rural areas in facilitating small farmers and agricultural labourers in the provision of houses and it is intended to continue to give the increased grant to these bodies to encourage and facilitate their efforts. The reconstruction provisions of the Act of 1932 have been successful beyond expectations and it is interesting to note the extent to which the grants are being availed of by small farmers for the reconstruction of their houses. The benefits derived by the farming community from these grants are seen in the fact that up to date about 4,000 grants have been allocated to small farmers representing as I previously pointed out over 90 per cent. of the total allocations in respect of reconstruction work.
On the Second Reading of the Act of 1932 I stated that it was the intention of the Government that building work would be continuous until the total housing demands of the State are fully satisfied, and it is in pursuance of this intention that the present Bill is introduced to encourage private persons and public utility societies to continue as agencies of house supply. In 1932 it was not expected that these agencies would be as responsive as they have proven themselves, and it was then believed that local authorities would have to undertake a much larger share of the burden of the provision of the total need. It is gratifying, however, to find that private persons and public utility societies are able with the assistance of the grants to undertake the provision of a larger share of the need than it was thought they could be encouraged to undertake. The provision of houses by private persons and public utility societies costs to central and local funds considerably less than the provision of houses by local authorities, and the greater the activities of the former agencies of supply the more free will the local authorities be to deal with the housing of the very uneconomic classes and the clearance of slums and insanitary houses. These are some of the factors which have influenced the Government in their decision to continue the grant system to private persons and public utility societies under the present Bill. In addition to the continuance of the grants, other facilities such as the remission of rates and the issue of loans provided for under the original scheme will, of course, be continued.
Since the passing of the Act of 1932 considerable progress has been made in the development of building materials industries, and during the past two years the percentage of Saorstát materials used for the provision of the average house has been increased from about 30 per cent. to 45 per cent. Further increases are expected as the housing programme develops. Building costs do not appear to have undergone any substantial change during the past two years. An inquiry by the Prices Commission into the cost of building materials and appliances is in progress and the findings of the Commission are awaited. If it is found that undue profits are being made, suitable steps will be taken to deal with the matter. Furthermore, if it is necessary to extend the scope of the inquiry steps will also be taken to this end.
I am sure that all Parties in the House will support this Bill so that the good work which was initiated in 1932 and which has gone ahead with such gratifying pace may be enabled to continue to the goal which all national minded members of the community are anxious to reach as quickly as possible —when every citizen will have a decent and healthy home in which to live his life and bring up his family in a way that will ensure a race healthy in mind and body.