asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state whether any examination has been made into the various detailed items of costs, which enter into the total cost of house-building under local authorities in (a) urban, and (b) rural districts; and, if so, if he will state what were the detailed costs disclosed by such inquiries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Costs of House-Building.
The various items of cost in connection with local authorities' housing schemes are constantly under review in my Department and statistics of the all-in-cost of all subsidised schemes undertaken are maintained. As the Deputy is aware there was a considerable falling off in building activity both in urban and rural districts since 1940, owing to difficulty in securing supplies of materials, and no reliable conclusions could be drawn from any examination of such information as was available. In Dublin City, where house-building was continued at an average level throughout the emergency period, the various costs have been kept constantly under review. There was an upward trend in the average of building costs throughout the period. The costs ranged from £462 in 1938, £504 in 1940, to £750 in 1945. I may point out that the various factors affecting the provision of housing schemes in Dublin were examined in detail by the Commission of Inquiry into the Housing of the Working Classes in the City of Dublin, and their conclusions are contained in paragraphs 216 to 271 of their report which was published in 1944.
For the information of the Deputy, two tables will be circulated with the debates. The first is an itemised table of all-in-cost in respect of a particular scheme for which the Corporation of Drogheda received tenders in 1941 and 1946. The second table shows the costs in Dublin County Borough in June, 1939, and September, 1945, of the approximate quantity of principal materials required for an average four-roomed house.
Following are the tables:—
TABLE No. 1.
ESTIMATED COST OF A 32 HOUSE SCHEME AT GALLOW'S LANE, DROGHEDA, BASED ON TENDERS RECEIVED BY THE CORPORATION IN 1941 AND 1946.
|
1941 |
1946 |
|
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
1. Cost of Land (£300) |
— |
— |
|
2. Cost of Development (including roads, etc.) |
2,900 |
4,510 |
|
3. Cost of Erection |
14,300 |
25,500 |
|
4. Cost of Fencing |
included in 3 |
included in 3 |
|
5. Architect's Fees |
100 |
100 |
|
6. Clerk of Works Fees |
250 |
250 |
|
7. Legal Expenses |
75 |
75 |
|
8. Other Expenses |
30 |
30 |
TABLE No. 2.
Costs in Dublin County Borough in June, 1939 and September, 1945, of the approximate quantity of principal materials required for an average four-roomed house.
|
ITEM |
Cost, June, 1939 |
Cost, Sept., 1945 |
||||
|
£ |
s. |
d. |
£ |
s. |
d. |
|
|
1. Concrete |
35 |
13 |
7 |
84 |
1 |
5 |
|
2. Timber |
26 |
2 |
6 |
90 |
5 |
2 |
|
3. Roofing and Iron Work |
35 |
1 |
9 |
78 |
2 |
11 |
|
4. Plumbing |
18 |
17 |
10 |
33 |
8 |
0 |
|
5. Plastering |
11 |
9 |
11 |
28 |
9 |
2 |
|
6. Glazing and Painting |
3 |
7 |
0 |
8 |
18 |
8 |