asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state the concessions available by way of free grants and remission of rate payments and revaluation exemption in respect of new buildings built by other than local authorities immediately prior to the 1st October last; and if he will state which of these have now been discontinued; and whether he proposes to take steps to give the same or other concessions of a similar nature in respect of houses or premises now being built or to be built in the immediate future; and, if so, if he will state what his intentions are.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Concessions for New Buildings.
A statement setting out in detail the information asked for in the first part of the question will be circulated with the Official Report.
As regards the latter part an extension of legislation for the continuance of certain rate remission is under consideration. Provision will be made to cover the cases of new houses in urban areas that heretofore qualified for grants and obtained remission of rates under the Housing Acts.
The following is the statement mentioned in the first paragraph above:—
Grants under the Housing (Financial and Miscellancous Provisions) Acts, 1932-1937, were available as follows prior to the 1st instant:—
(a) To persons and public utility societies in urban areas (including towns with town commissioners);
For houses of floor area not less than 500 square feet, and not more than 800 square feet begun on or after 1st July, 1936, and completed before 1st October, 1938—£45 per house.
(b) To persons in rural areas:—
For houses of floor area not less than 500 and not more than 1,250 square feet begun on or after 12th May, 1932, and completed before 1st April, 1939:—
In the case of a house erected for his own occupation by a person who derives his livelihood solely or mainly from the pursuit of agriculture and is in occupation of agricultural land and buildings, the rateable value of which—
(i) does not exceed £15—£70 per house;
(ii) exceeds £15, but does not exceed £25—£60 per house;
In the case of a house erected for his own occupation by an agricultural labourer—£70 per house.
In the case of house erected by any other person whether for his own occupation or not—£45 per house.
(c) To public utility societies in rural areas:—
For houses of floor area not less than 500 and not more than 1,250 square feet begun on or after 12th May, 1932, and completed before 1st April, 1939:—
In the case of a house erected for occupation by a person who derives his livelihood solely or mainly from the pursuit of agriculture and is in occupation of agricultural land and buildings, the rateable value of which—
(i) does not exceed £15—£80 per house;
(ii) exceeds £15, but does not exceed £25—£70 per house.
In the case of a house erected for occupation by an agricultural labourer—£80 per house.
(d) To public utility societies erecting houses for letting in urban areas:—
A sum not exceeding two-ninths of the cost of the provision of a house subject to a maximum grant of £100 per house for houses with a floor area of not less than 500 square feet and not more than 800 square feet where the erection was begun on or after the 12th May, 1932, and completed before the 1st April, 1939. Subject to the local authority of the area in which the house is to be built undertaking to make a grant, either by way of a grant of land as a site or by way of a grant of money, equal in value or amount to one-ninth of the cost or £50 whichever is the lesser.
Two-thirds of the rates leviable by local authorities in respect of houses at (a), (b) and (c) above were remitted in every of the first seven local financial years after the valuation of such houses for rating purposes.
All concessions under the Housing Acts in respect of houses completed in urban areas on or after the 1st instant (other than houses built for letting by public utility societies) have now been discontinued and it is not proposed to make further provision under the Housing Acts for the granting of assistance of this nature.
Under the Local Government Acts remission of rates on new buildings other than houses erected under the Housing of the Working Classes Acts, the Labourers Acts, and houses in respect of which State grants were made, is authorised for a period of five years or until the next general revaluation becomes effective, in respect of two-thirds of the rates on buildings begun and completed on or before 1st October, 1938.
Is the Minister aware that there has been very considerable dislocation of builders' plans because of the uncertainty in this matter, and will he say what is the reason why builders have not been informed of the Government's plans before this?
There has been no unusual delay in informing them of the Government's plans.
Is the Minister aware that a builder who, during the last few months, has been planning building, does not know how he will stand with regard to rates remission in respect of the houses he will build, or in respect of any Government grant? Does the Minister understand that that interferes very seriously with a builder in making plans, and involves loss of employment that would otherwise take place during the winter months, and probably loss of capital?
Any serious changes that we propose to make have always been announced long months in advance.
Are builders to understand that, because the Minister has not announced at a suitable time that he is going to make rates remission on new houses built after 1st October, that no rates remission is going to be given, and no Government grant is going to be given?
I refuse to answer that question.
Does not the Minister appreciate that a builder making his plans over the last three months was not able to say, in respect of the houses he was going to build, whether these houses would have rates remission, or whether they would get a Government grant, and does he not understand that that affects a builder when he sits down to consider the cost?
I do not understand anything of the kind.
I would like to assure the Minister that there is going to be more unemployment, loss of capital on the part of the builders, and a great deal of uncertainty simply because there is a lack of continuity of information.
That does not exist.
The Deputy should understand that assurances are not supplementary questions.
Is the Minister aware that there has been considerable unemployment in the building trade since the 30th September last, consequent on what Deputy Mulcahy has said?
No.
I can assure the Minister that what I have said is so.
Such assurances, however informative, are not supplementary questions, and are, therefore, not in order.