asked the Minister for Local Government how many applications for corporation houses remain to be satisfied by the Dublin Corporation; and when it is expected that these needs will be satisfied.
61.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Corporation Housing.
60.
asked the Minister for Local Government how many corporation houses and flats the Dublin Corporation propose to erect in the coming twelve months.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take questions Nos. 60 and 61 together.
I am informed that, at a recent date, the number of families on the Corporation's waiting-list, including those recommended for rehousing by the City Medical Officer, totalled slightly over 4,000. The Corporation had 1,169 dwellings in progress or in tender at the 30th September and I understand that between new building and vacancies they expect to be able to provide about 3,000 new tenancies in the next two and a half years.
62.
asked the Minister for Local Government the average period in which an applicant for a corporation house with (a) one child (b) two children (c) three children and (d) four children can under existing circumstances be housed by the Dublin Corporation.
Information as to the average period in question is not available in my Department. If statistics were assembled to determine it, the resultant figure would be of no practical use as size of family is only one of several factors governing rehousing. It would also be soon outdated by prospective increases in housing output.
Does it not strike the Minister as a rather shocking thing that, when families cannot get housing in the city where as many as four are living in unsuitable housing, the best they can expect is that three-fourths of the existing applicants may be housed at the end of two and a half years at a time when we are building offices, luxury hotels and every form of luxury building, while people remain in condemned houses in our city? Is there not something wrong?
I would not say there is something wrong. I should rather say that there was something wrong and I think we should leave it at that.
This Government have been in office now for six years. Six years prior to their arrival, the number of houses built in the city had reached a very high level. It then fell very considerably. We are now in the position in which the Minister says that it will take two and a half years at least to house three-quarters of the existing applicants, but that by that time there will be a substantial addition to the waiting list. Does the Minister not consider there must be something wrong in our priorities if in those circumstances so high a proportion of entire building resources are devoted to luxury hotels, office buildings——
Dáil Éireann.
——and, indeed, this Oireachtas?
Is this not initiating a discussion on housing policy?
No, Sir. I think——
Question Time is never intended for that.
Surely it is a relevant question on the statement made by the Minister in reply to the Lord Mayor that in two and a half years three-quarters of the existing applicants will be catered for, but by that time there will be a very substantial addition to the waiting list?
That is policy for which Question Time was never intended.
Since it has been raised and since it may or may not be a policy matter, depending on one's point of view, I should like to say that this is a matter which is giving vital cause for concern to my Department and myself. We have been quite a considerable time consulting with the Corporation helping them along, advocating that they should go faster and try to bring the plans to the stage at which they can build. What I have read out is what is proposed to be done.
Behind it lies this story of the situation which is not quite as simple as the Leader of the Opposition seems to put it. You cannot just have a full stop on housing and then an immediate restart when the circumstances have changed so radically from the position exising five or six years ago when there were 1,600 or 1,700 vacant houses occurring annually as against the present situation where the vacancy rate has fallen well below half that figure and continues to decline.
These are matters which we must consider and which have probably created the unfortunate situation indicated by the figures I have given. I would be quite safe in referring the the Leader of the Opposition to the statement of the position given by the City Manager of Dublin very recently, possibly a month or five weeks ago, which I think was quite an illuminating statement in regard to the whole situation of housing, the shortage of housing in Dublin and the difficulties attendant upon stepping up the programme to meet this rising need and the change in circumstances.
I do not think it is just a question of its being an appalling situation that this should be so. It is apparent that there may be this long delay. I do not think the city council of Dublin, the City Manager, the Department of Local Government, the Minister for Local Government or the Government are to be blamed for that situation, for the reason that from the Department we are and have been prepared to provide all that is essential and necessary so far as house building for Dublin Corporation and any other corporation is concerned by way of finances and what have you.
The Corporation, to my mind, in their efforts have been doing the best and most expeditious job it is possible for them to do in bringing about an upturn in the number of houses under construction. The number is increasing at present and will increase in the future. Times have changed radically since six years ago. You cannot switch off building construction today, turn the tap and switch on the flow tomorrow. It takes time and that is largely the difficulty which has faced the Dublin Corporation.
That false alibi is getting threadbare after six years.
They were refusing houses. They would not take them— they did not want them.