I move:
That a sum not exceeding £4,257,800 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1965, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Local Government, including Grants to Local Authorities, Grants and other Expenses in connection with Housing, and Miscellaneous Grants including a Grant-in-Aid.
The total Vote for my Department for the year 1964-65 is £7,052,800. The net increase is £416,190 on the corresponding provision made in the last financial year. There is an increase of £289,000 in respect of private housing grants and of £270,000 in respect of water supply and sewerage contributions and grants.
The contribution by way of subsidy of local authority housing loans is increased by £80,000 and there is an increase of £5,000 in grants for the clearance of derelict sites and for works of public amenity, which will now cover grants for protective works at dangerous quarries. There is an increase of £62,420 for salaries, wages and allowances and, under a new procedure, a sum of £10,000 for postal services, included in subhead C, is being charged to the Department.
A sum of £70,000 appears in the Estimate for the first time, as a consequence of the transfer to county councils and county borough corporations, under the Electoral Act, 1963, of the duty of compiling and publishing the register of electors, which was formerly the responsibility of the county registrars. The Act provides that approximately half the cost of the work will henceforth be borne by the State, on my Department's Vote.
Although the total number of houses completed by local authorities during the year ended 31st March, 1964, at 1,899, is only slightly higher than the previous year, which was however a substantial increase on the year before, the volume of work in progress and in tender at 31st March showed a considerable increase, there being 5,404 dwellings in progress or in tender at that date compared with 3,333 in the previous year. In addition, the value of tenders and direct labour estimates sanctioned during the year at £6.2 million showed an 80 per cent increase over the previous year and should result in a substantial increase in completions this year. This, while still well below the minimum output calculated to be necessary, is a trend in the right direction. The distribution of the schemes covered by the amount, by area, was: Dublin Corporation, £2.4 million; Cork Corporation, £.3 million; other urban areas, £1.9 million; and county health districts, £1.6 million.
Satisfactory progress is being made in raising the standards of new rural houses by providing them with water and sewerage facilities. Most rural housing authorities have now produced new plans which provide serviced rural cottages where this is possible. Potentially serviced cottages are being provided by some local authorities in cases where the cottages, though not now serviceable, are on the line of future public services so that the local authority or the tenant purchasers can in due course instal the services with a minimum of further work and expense. I would exhort all local authorities to further this policy and to take care, in the selection and acquisition of sites, to ensure that fully serviced cottages can be provided.
Increasing costs continued to affect house building prices in the last 12 months. These have resulted from many factors principally increases in wages and cost of materials and the introduction of a five day week in the building industry. At the same time, the high level of activity in the building industry in almost all areas has made it difficult for many housing authorities to obtain competitive tenders particularly for isolated rural cottages. Some contractors who have been appointed are slow in commencing and carrying out work. This is due to many factors including the availability of ample work in the private sectors of the building industry. It may be that it is felt by some contractors, with or without justification, that the procedure for payment for work done is too slow to be attractive and local authorities might with advantage to themselves examine their procedures in this regard.
Some authorities have succeeded in overcoming such problems by building cottages under the labour and trades contracts systems at reasonable cost. A few local authorities are successfully operating direct labour organisations, while others have introduced incentive bonus systems. The experimental proposals of one housing authority aimed at giving continuity of employment to a number of contractors over a reasonable period which it was claimed would make local authority contracts more attractive to the contractors in that area have been approved.
Any other proposals that may be put forward to overcome these problems in their areas will be fully considered.
Although full reports from the Survey of Unfit Houses are not available from every area, an analysis of the figures submitted, including estimates where final figures are not available, indicates that outside the cities of Dublin and Cork there are 70,000 unfit houses in the country, 60,000 of which are in rural areas. Of the total, 40,000 are regarded as capable of economic repair leaving a balance of 30,000 which are totally unfit and cannot be repaired economically. About 25,000 of these totally unfit houses are situate in rural areas.
Furthermore, while the results of the 1961 national census so far as housing was concerned showed a satisfactory improvement over the 1946 figures in so far as densities per room are concerned, it also revealed that out of a total of 676,000 private dwellings in the country over 300,000 were more than 60 years old and 160,000 were more than 100 years old and that, while 130,000 houses were newly built between 1946 and 1961, the increase in the housing stock amounted to 14,000 only. Allowing for conversion of dwellings to other purposes such as offices and so on, this would appear to confirm an obsolescence rate of 1—1¼ per cent, that is 6,500 to 8,000 dwellings each year. These figures give some idea of the re-housing programme which the country must face, apart altogether from the fact that for the first time in generations our population is on the increase with the implications that this involves for housing authorities.
The extent of the problem and the difficulties in the way of solving it, have made it clear to me that housing output must be expanded and that, to do this, fundamentally new ideas must be considered in regard to all the processes of erecting a house. I considered that the matters which needed to be urgently examined were, chiefly, the type of house being provided, the type and size of the components being used and the manner of their assembly, the need for ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted sequence in the various constructional operations; in general, all processes susceptible to speed without any sacrifice of essential quality or amenity and without detriment to the essential interests of the worker.
Housing construction forms a very large part of the operations of the building industry as a whole, in fact so large a part that its problems are largely those of the industry itself and that it is within the industry itself the changes which will give us speedier construction must take place. Notwithstanding this, I felt that my own intervention in this field was essential unless the possibility of greater social progress was to be lost. I accordingly decided that the ground should be prepared to enable me to consider whether specific techniques or systems not hitherto used in this country for housing would be necessary to supplement the output being achieved by present methods.
I, therefore, invited building interests to submit their proposals for the provision of dwellings by non-traditional techniques or systems which from their own knowledge and experience they considered suitable for our needs. About 80 replies have been received. While I have seen personally the success of new methods and systems in other countries, the procedure I have followed will bring to light whether, in fact, the particular schemes now submitted are suitable for adoption in the circumstances of this country. I will refer to this matter again further on in my speech when I come to deal with some aspects of the rural problem.
From time to time standards have been laid down by my Department for local authority dwellings and dwellings qualifying for the private house grants. I have set up a working party consisting of administrative and technical members of the Department to look into these standards to ascertain their suitability to present day requirements and to make any recommendations they consider necessary for their revision before issuing a comprehensive statement of the Department's standards and recommendations in so far as house building and layouts are concerned.
During the year ended 31st March last, Dublin Corporation completed 829 dwellings which was an increase on the 643 completed the previous year. At the 31st March, they had 1,739 houses in progress or in tender which was also substantially up on the corresponding figure for the previous year when the figure was 1,272. However, in view of the waiting list which contains over 7,000 names, with 1,350 applicants from newly weds alone in 1963, and in view of the age and obsolescence of many thousands of the houses privately owned in the city, I came to the conclusion that a special effort was required to increase the output still further.
The situation was then aggravated by the necessity to reserve for a period all new tenancies for persons displaced from dangerous buildings. The extent of this operation alone will be more easily understood by an examination of the statistics which shows that from the commencement of the operation up to the beginning of April the closure of dangerous buildings had resulted in the displacement and rehousing of 879 families of three or more persons, 137 couples and 155 single persons and that at that time a further 224 families of three or more, 137 couples and 168 single persons were involved in operations proceeding. The Dublin Corporation have relaxed their regulation suspending the normal rehousing priorities and reserving all new tenancies for persons displaced from dangerous buildings to the extent that they are now making 10 per cent of lettings available to other than families displaced from dangerous buildings.
One feature of the dangerous buildings displacement operation was the number of families of one and two persons affected. In order to meet the needs of this class in the interim period until the output of suitable permanent accommodation could be expanded to meet the increased demand, I approved the Corporation's decision to provide a number of chalets on convenient cleared sites which will not be required for permanent building purposes in the near future.
Up to the time of the collapse of the tenement buildings in June last, the Corporation had been planning on the basis of a programme not scheduled for completion before 1969-70, of 10,000 dwellings for which all the available sites within the city boundary had been earmarked. In view of the figures which I have already quoted, I was not satisfied that the programme and the rate of progress planned was adequate, particularly when I was informed that for reasons outside the control of the Corporation it was likely that the output of dwellings in the current year might be less than the number completed last year.
At the same time, it appeared to me that with the best will in the world, the Corporation would find it impossible to overcome the physical task of meeting its growing accumulation of housing requirements in a reasonable time unless it was prepared to adopt more progressive administrative and technical measures for the purpose. In view of the seriousness and urgency of the situation I asked the Corporation to meet me to discuss their programme and the possibilities of expanding output. I also arranged follow-up meetings between officials of the Department and the Corporation.
One of the serious problems facing the Corporation and inhibiting any worthwhile expansion of output was a shortage of building land and I am glad to say that I was able to assist them in acquiring a substantial housing site to overcome this problem. With the assistance of my Department problems in regard to a water supply for the area were also dealt with. As a result of these meetings at which the argument that their own staff resources and the shortage of skilled operatives would also limit any increase in output was raised, the Corporation accepted my advice to investigate the possibilities of new building methods and techniques, with a view to using them to produce dwellings over and above the number which they could produce in the normal programme by traditional methods, and the use of an agency other than the Corporation if this would expedite the project.
Having at my suggestion sent a delegation to examine the results of industrialised building methods in continental cities and having heard their report, the Housing Committee recommended the City Council to adopt new building methods and techniques to supplement urgently the housing output which is so badly needed. I am very pleased to record that the City Council have accepted the recommendation. A number of factors will need to be cleared before the decision can be fully implemented but I am fully confident that the realisation by the community as a whole of the value of good housing, the inadequacy of the supply of houses in the city area and the plight of those families who are obliged to occupy unfit, dangerous or overcrowded dwellings and of those who are obliged to pay inequitable rents for inadequate accommodation will ensure agreement with the Corporation in their proposals and that the fullest co-operation will be forthcoming from building and financial interests, from professional and workers' interests and from the general body of Dublin citizens to produce a satisfactory and worthwhile impact on the city's housing needs.
Over the past year a number of steps were taken to expedite consideration of appeals under section 18 of the Labourers Act, 1936, against the state of repair of cottages vested in the local authority tenants and to reduce the backlog of undetermined appeals. These have been successful, even though the full effect of the steps may not yet have been felt. During the year 820 appeals were received and 853 were determined. Extra works were prescribed in 692 cases and the balance of 161 were determined to be in good repair and sanitary condition.
Maintenance costs have shown, in common with all other costs the same continuous upward trend for a number of years. It follows, therefore, that increased financial provision must be made for maintenance if housing estates are to be properly preserved. It is regrettable that some urban housing authorities seem to have yielded to the temptation to skimp on maintenance work because of increased costs, without taking into consideration the inevitable consequences of their shortsighted policy. Houses are important and expensive assets in the preservation of which the State has a considerable interest. It cannot be overlooked, therefore, where proper maintenance programmes are not being carried out regularly, that the lifetime of these valuable assets can be considerably shortened. I would suggest to urban housing authorities that they should plan a steady spaced repair programme to be carried out over a period of years; they will thus avoid having to face periodic heavy outlay on repairs and will be able to make reasonable annual provision for the financing of the work.
The statutory provisions relating to the powers of housing authorities to make loans for the construction or purchase of houses which were previously contained in the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts, 1899 to 1962, have now been amended and consolidated and given a modern setting in regulations made by me with the consent of the Minister for Finance in accordance with the powers conferred on me by section 11 of the Housing (Loans and Grants) Act, 1962. The regulations came into effect on 1st June. This will be a distinct step in the process of the modernisation of the whole housing code which was begun with the Act of 1962 and which will be continued in the new Bill, the preparation of which is well advanced.
A welcome trend has developed in the past few years towards increased borrowing from commercial sources by individuals for new house purchase. This tends to show that a bigger percentage of borrowers are regarded as good commercial risks for a loan which in turn is evidence of the growing prosperity of the community. This trend is to be encouraged since it ensures that the maximum proportion of local authority advances will be conserved for those most in need of them and for tenants of local authority houses who are prepared to provide their own housing accommodation.
I am glad to be able to announce that the regulations provide for an increase from £2,000 to £2,250 in the amount of maximum loan that may be advanced by a housing authority towards construction or purchase of a house. This amendment should remove any hardship that applicants may have been experiencing in putting together sufficient money to bridge the gap between the current net cost of houses, after allowing for State and local grants, and the maximum amount of loan previously available.
One of the amendments in the regulations deserves special mention. This is the provision that a family vacating a housing authority dwelling and buying a house provided by private enterprise may secure a loan up to 99 per cent of the market value of the house exclusive of grants. This percentage compares with the 95 per cent available to other persons and the provision was included in the new regulations to encourage housing authority tenants, whose financial circumstances had improved, to move to the private sector. I understand that there is already a small but significant movement out of housing estates where families' fortunes have prospered.
I feel that this movement should be fostered not only because it results in a local authority house becoming immediately available for a needy family but primarily because the ambition and initiative displayed by the families concerned in seeking houses of their own choice when they can afford to do so deserve every encouragement. I feel that many housing authorities have failed to appreciate the number of families that would be prepared to undertake the task of housing themselves if the initial difficulties could be smoothed out for them. I have in mind especially the provision of developed sites. I consider that the work of providing developed sites is of an importance at least equal to that of direct building by the housing authority themselves. Well planned schemes of developed sites combined with the provision of supplementary grants on a worthwhile scale would result in a noticeable increase in self-help in regard to housing by persons who otherwise must wait for the housing authority to provide direct building for their needs.
I would, therefore, again appeal to all housing authorities to re-examine carefully whether they are at present catering for the full needs of these cases in the matter of developed sites and supplementary grants and whether they are bringing the availability of these facilities to the notice of persons who might be interested. Where there is a need established for an expansion of the present programmes every effort should be made to bring about the desired expansion as soon as possible.
One of the most acute problems revealed by the Survey of Unfit Houses was the deplorable housing conditions in which many small farmers are living. It was evident from a preliminary analysis of the survey material that a number of the families concerned could not be expected, because of their economic or family circumstances, to undertake the provision of a house even with the aid of increased grants and loans. It was because of this position that I introduced a new scheme of subsidy to encourage county councils to take a greater interest in building for small farmers as a distinct category. The new scheme will apply to houses erected by county councils after 1st October, 1963, for small farmers the valuation of whose land holding is £5 or less.
I wish to emphasise that the scheme applies to all county councils, even to those which have so far excluded farmers from eligibility for council cottages. I feel sure that the increased subsidy will be a sufficient incentive to the county councils to formulate realistic programmes with a view to ensuring that the needs in this category are met in the shortest possible time. Under the scheme, the State has undertaken responsibility for the entire loan charges that will be incurred in the repayment of the loans raised to finance the erection of the dwellings subject to a weekly contribution of 7/6d in normal cases from the small farmer and an annual contribution equivalent to the loan charges on £100 of the capital cost from the housing authority.
It is the intention that the procedure to be adopted in building the houses will be of the simplest. The housing authority will, in effect, act as a contractor for the small farmer. They will enter into an agreement with him to erect the house and the agreement will provide that the expenditure incurred by them will be charged against his holding for the period for which the local authority had to borrow.
I have already referred to the response to my invitation to builders and others interested to bring to my notice any systems or techniques of the non-traditional type of house building. I am glad to say that some of the replies have come from existing Irish concerns and are based on the utilisation of Irish produced materials to at least the same extent as in existing traditional building. This initiative and enterprise gives me hope that whatever partial transition to new methods may eventually be necessary any difficulties in the process will be small and easily surmounted.
I mention industrialised building in the context of rural housing as I have already mentioned it in the case of Dublin because these are the sectors of the problem that demand the most urgent and exceptional treatment. The application of the new methods to both sectors would involve the organisation of demand on a national basis. If we consider the difficulties experienced in getting contractors for single cottages in isolated areas there is already a case for examining the question of the regional pooling of contracts, and I think that the introduction of new building methods will make this course essential. A body like the National Building Agency can be visualised as an effective organising agent for the various local authorities involved.
The total number of schemes approved under section 10 of the Housing (Loans and Grants) Act, 1962, as at 31st March, 1964, under which advances may be made in respect of the reconstruction, repair and improvement of houses was 32, comprising 19 rural and 13 urban housing authorities. The majority of rural housing authorities and a number of urban authorities are giving supplementary grants in respect of new and reconstructed houses as well as for water and sewerage installations.
Eight cottage purchase schemes comprising 2,062 cottages were brought into force during the year and six schemes comprising 2,485 cottages were approved. Urban purchase schemes were approved in respect of 1,207 houses. The total number of urban houses included in sales schemes at 31/3/1964 was 19,336.
The amounts provided for housing and water and sewerage grants for private persons in 1964-65 is £3,200,000, made up of £3,040,000 in subhead E.2 and £160,000 in subhead F. In the Estimates for 1963-64 a sum of £2.751 million was provided for housing grants and separate supplementary provision was made at £50,000 for private water and sewerage grants where works were commenced after 1st April, 1963. The increased provision under these headings is, therefore, £399,000 and in addition a sum of £50,000 is included in subhead F to recoup to local authorities supplementary grants to farmers who would have qualified for the grants previously administered by the Department of Agriculture.
During the year I was glad to be able to announce a substantial increase in the grants for farmers and other persons in occupation of land providing their own houses.
The steady growth in new house grant allocations and the provision of additional funds to meet the increased grants for farmers, are the two main factors underlying the increase in the overall provision. New house grant allocations for 1963-64 at 7,384 exceeded the previous highest total of 6,095 recorded in 1955-56. While the number of reconstruction grant allocations fell to 11,856 as compared with 13,668 in the previous year, the volume of reconstruction activity appears to remain as high as formerly. Allocations of grants for water and sewerage, which exceeded 4,000 cases for the first time ever in 1962-63, totalled 5,555 cases in 1963-64.
In dealing with my estimate for last year I mentioned the problem of unfit houses and the special grants for essential repairs under section 5 of the Housing (Loans and Grants) Act, 1962. This section was enacted to deal with the problem of owner-occupied houses which are incapable of being made fully fit for habitation at reasonable cost. I am glad to say that sixteen local authorities have indicated that they are prepared to operate this scheme. A formal procedure for dealing with the grants has been sent to local authorities and considerable activity is expected in the current financial year.
The generous grants available to approved bodies for the housing of elderly persons have resulted so far in applications for the provision of approximately 300 units of accommodation as at 31st March, 1964. Grants have been paid up to that date in respect of 56 living units. The response so far is satisfactory and it is expected that these grants will continue to be availed of in future years.
Considerable progress has been made on group water supply schemes and up to 31st March, 1964, work was either completed or well advanced on about 120 schemes covering 2,000 houses. In addition 84 other schemes covering 1,194 houses approximately had reached the design stage.
A total of £845,000 is provided in subhead F in respect of contributions to loan charges for sanitary services works and for grants for private water and sewerage installations. The amount included for contributions to loan charges is £635,000. The local authority programmes of water supply and sewerage schemes, at 31st March, 1964, involved 241 schemes in progress, comprising 156 water supply and 85 sewerage schemes, at a total estimated value of £7.32 million, as compared with work costing £5 million being carried out at March, 1963. Schemes at tender stage aggregate £8 million while another £10 million worth are at contract document stage. During the year ended 31st March, 1964, a total of over 2½ million was issued from the Local Loans Fund as compared with £1.7 million in 1962-63. Tenders to a value of over £3 million were sanctioned in 1963-64 as compared with approximately £2¾ million last year.
In the course of the year approval was given to the application to Counties Cavan, Longford and Monaghan of the higher rate of 60 per cent of subsidy towards the loan charges of water supply and sewerage schemes, subject to Counties Cavan and Monaghan adopting satisfactory programmes. Longford has already adopted such a programme.
As from 1st July last, a new unified scheme of grants was introduced for the installation of piped water and sewerage facilities in private homes. It applies to all approved works which cost more than £10 irrespective of the occupation or place of residence of the applicant. A substantial increase is provided in grants for group installations. Restrictions in regard to distance from public schemes are removed. Grant allocations have increased by about 25 per cent. On two occasions during the year I wrote personally to county councillors requesting their co-operation in the water supplies drive and asking that their particular talents for encouraging local co-operation and initiative be fully used. An attractive coloured pamphlet illustrating the new scheme and the different ways of installing piped water has been issued. The general programme of publicity has been continued and the participation of the Department in a number of local shows has been found particularly rewarding.
During the year under review I appointed a new committee of engineers entitled "The Advisory Committee for Sanitary Services Works", comprising senior engineering personnel of the Department, four consulting and three County engineers, to advise me on matters in regard to the planning, design, execution, operation and maintenance of sanitary services works which I may refer to them from time to time. Many complex engineering and related problems have been thrown up by the present large-scale local authority programme and the committee has been impressed with the need to ensure that solutions to these problems are fully attuned to present day needs, including the objectives of the Government's Second Programme for Economic Expansion, and of the new Planning Act. I have received the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on water resources which I set up in 1960, and consideration of their recommendations has commenced.
The number of recent fires involving danger to or loss of life has occasioned me considerable concern. A preliminary review of the fire service has been carried out. As at present organised it is reasonably efficient and within the resources made available by rating authorities, progress is made year by year in re-equipment, the provision of new fire stations and in general modernisation. Further progress might be achieved by grouping counties and county boroughs into fire regions and this is being examined in detail at present. Legislative proposals are being prepared to amend the Fire Brigades Act, 1940, so as to strengthen the control of fire brigade authorities.
Generally, however, the 1940 Act gives fire brigade authorities wide powers in regard to the control of use of potentially dangerous buildings. They may require the owner of any such building to refrain from use of the whole or part of the building until he takes certain specified precautions such as the provision of appliances or fittings, structural alterations or additions, or "the doing in relation to such buildings of any other thing whatsoever". The Fire Standards Committee have just completed consideration of revised standards and I have received their report and the suggested standards which they recommend for acceptance. Stencilled copies of the standards recommended by the Committee will be made available to interested persons and bodies. Copies have been sent to the local fire authorities. I am taking the opportunity to ask these authorities to carry out fresh surveys of all buildings whose condition and use could be regarded as constituting a special fire hazard.
To increase public awareness of major fire hazards and the fire prevention precautions, a series of slides has been shown from time to time on Telefís Éireann, including a special series illustrating Christmas fire hazards.
Loss of life by drowning continues to be a cause of concern. Steps were taken during the year to publicise the main hazards, but I am not satisfied that the public is yet sufficiently conscious of what can be done to save lives. The drive for the provision of adequate swimming facilities throughout the country has been developing more slowly than I would like. There is local enthusiasm for swimming pool projects, but active steps have been taken towards their provision in 12 centres only. Some of these are well advanced. Last July I asked local authorities again to give the matter serious consideration, particularly the urgent need to have adequate facilities for teaching children to swim. I urged them to co-operate with voluntary associations, including school authorities, wishing to instal pools. Sanitary authorities were also urged to keep water safety measures constantly under review. Recently, I recommended to sanitary authorities that the possibilities of arrangement with specialist firms for the provision of completelyequipped swimming pools on a "package-deal" basis should be explored, as this method seems to offer considerable economies.
The loss of life through drowning in quarries has also given rise to much anxiety. Local authorities were asked during the year to take immediate protective action in relation to quarries which are known to be dangerous. A new system of State grants has been initiated on the basis of 50 per cent of the cost of the approved works. The maximum of 50 per cent will be subject to review in appropriate cases when special difficulties arise. Legislative proposals are being formulated to give Dublin County Council and other authorities adequate powers to deal with quarries in private ownership.
Measurements of air pollution in Dublin and other centres are continuing. A firm indication of the trend of pollution will be available towards the end of next year. In the meantime, interim regulations for the control of atmospheric pollution pursuant to the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act, 1962, are being prepared, to deal, in the first instance, with the emission of dark smoke from premises other than private dwellinghouses.
The Report of the Commission on Itinerancy is under examination in my Department in conjunction with the other Departments concerned. Complex social considerations are involved in the recommendations of the Commission which cover a wide field. It will be some time yet before it is possible to formulate a firm policy on the basis of the Commission's recommendations.
Turning to the roads system, the numbers of motor vehicles continue to mount, the increase at the last count being 7.6 per cent in the total for all vehicles in 12 months, private cars accounting for an increase over the 12 month period of 10.6 per cent. It is gratifying to see this positive proof of our rising standard of living, but we have to look also at the consequences for our road works programme.
The comprehensive national traffic census being organised by my Department will take some further time to complete. When the results have been processed I hope to be in a position to introduce a comprehensive re-classification of the roads system based on up-to-date considerations, and a system of priorities in our road works programme.
The rapid and continuing growth of vehicular traffic tends to concentrate principally on the main roads, and most of all on arterial routes, which are the main connecting links between the various areas of the country and the national capital. The improvement of many of these roads to a significant degree is an urgent need.
The main features of this year's scheme of Road Fund grants in the counties are manifest from the total allocation under the three principal heads, namely, £2,253,000 for county road improvement, £2,050,000 for main road improvement, and £1,450,000 for arterial roads.
Special attention is being given to the improvement of the sections of the arterial routes in the vicinity of the capital, which are carrying very heavy traffic volumes, and are very much congested. In the case of the Naas Road, a major scheme of improvement to dual carriageway standard is well advanced, and further sections additional to those already in use are expected to be completed this year. In the case of the other routes, principally the Dublin-Belfast Road and the Bray Road, the planning and other preliminaries in connection with major improvements are in progress. Grants have also been given for the improvement of arterial routes in other counties, including routes leading to the Border.
Increased motorised traffic brings with it increasing problems, and I envisage expanding activity by my Department to deal with them, so as to make our roads safer and more efficient.
The accident statistics for 1963 showed a welcome reduction on those for 1962, but this happy trend has not, so far, continued in 1964. It is not possible to determine positively the reasons for these shifts in accident rates. Weather conditions, the volume of traffic, the regulations on speed limits and lighting introduced last year, undoubtedly all played their part, but to what extent in the case of each factor, it is not possible to say. Nor is it possible to rule out other factors. My Department are instituting further research on this whole problem of accident causation, but I should warn in advance that even countries with substantial research apparatus and a larger statistical field have not so far got an answer. In the meantime, we have been, and are, proceeding with those measures which we hope will reduce the accident rate.
On 1st April, 1963, the speed limits were introduced. They were criticised by a minority, but have been welcomed by the great majority of the public. Their first review is now nearing completion. This will be an interim review to remove the more obvious anomalies. I wish to thank the local authorities and the local technical committees for their help in this review. It has not, of course, been possible to iron out differences in approach in different areas. I am, therefore, considering a comprehensive review of the built-up area zones to be undertaken, at least in respect of the arterial routes, by a single team, which should produce a fairly uniform result throughout the country.
The regulations dealing with the lighting of vehicles and their general construction and use were brought into force on 27th October last. They are designed to ensure safety on the roads and to control maximum laden weights to protect the roads from damage. They are in general conformity with the latest European standards. More detailed standards for lamps, reflectors and certain items of equipment such as safety belts and safety helmets were not dealt with pending the outcome of international discussions. I hope to be able to deal with these matters during the present year.
Part III of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, and its subsidiary regulations came into operation on 18th March, and established a new regime for the licensing of drivers of motor vehicles. Features of the new arrangements are driving tests, provisional licences for "learner" drivers, the issue of licences restricted to classes of vehicles and compulsory endorsement of licences for a wide range of offences.
Generally speaking, the impact of the new regulations will be relatively slight on persons who hold, or held within the past five years, licences under the 1933 Act, but a person who did not previously so hold a licence must first obtain a certificate of competency before applying for a driving licence and for that purpose must undergo a test, consisting of questions on the Rules of the Road and a practical driving test, during which the applicant is required to show that he applies the Rules of the Road in his driving, that he is capable of manipulating the vehicle safely and that he can execute correctly a variety of manoeuvres which form part of everyday driving.
A number of driver testers have been recruited and trained, and are at present carrying out tests in Dublin and throughout the country. The number of applications for tests will increase, of course, and further testers will be appointed. Test centres have been established in Dublin and in more than 40 towns throughout the country.
It will now be possible to give attention to the detailed planning essential to the introduction of a scheme of vehicle testing. Some preliminary investigation has already been carried out. A suitable scheme will be formulated at the earliest date possible.
That will see the Road Traffic Act, 1961, and its attendant schemes, fully in operation. But, as much of the 1961 Act involves the making of regulations, work on these will continue. A recent example is the amending Road Traffic (Signs) Regulations, which authorise the use of double white lines at dangerous bends and other dangerous places on the more heavily trafficked routes. I have asked the road authorities to arrange for the marking of the centres of all the arterial roads with centre lines, broken or continuous as circumstances dictate. The Road Fund will meet the cost. Reflectorised material and reflecting studs will be widely used. I hope that the money being spent on this road safety feature will be matched by a reduction in accidents on the open road.
