asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state (a) the approximate average increase in wages paid to unskilled and semiskilled labourers and to tradesmen since 1938-39; (b) the average increase in the cost of the principal materials used in building, selecting any two or three as examples, for the same period; (c) the approximate average increase in the cost of building a county council four-room dwelling, including cost of site and site development, since 1938-39, taking examples if necessary from two or three areas only, and (d) the approximate average increase in the cost of building a typical two-storey house, qualifying for maximum subsidy provided by urban authorities including site costs, since 1938-39.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Building Costs and Workers' Wages.
Queries (a) and (b) might be addressed to the Minister for Industry and Commerce.
As to (c), the cost of building a county council four-room dwelling including cost of site and site development has increased by approximately 152 per cent. since 1938-39. With regard to (d), the cost of an urban type local authority house has increased by approximately 193 per cent., but a proportion of this increase is attributable to the improvement in standards of design, construction and accommodation of the houses now being provided. I might mention that the superstructure cost of a standard type house in Dublin County Borough in February, 1950, showed an increase of 147 per cent. over the cost in June, 1939.