asked the Minister for Local Government whether his Department have carried out any studies of the average time taken for the provision of local authority housing from the time when the building was first proposed by the local authority to the time when it is completed and ready for occupation; and, in particular, if he can state what proportion of this total time is occupied by (a) actual building operations, and (b) administrative and legal processes, such as sanctioning of sites, preparation and approval of plans, etc.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Provision of Local Authority Housing.
4.
There are too many variables such as size of scheme, its location, availability of a site and its suitability for building purposes, availability of contractors, for an average of the type to which the Deputy refers to have any value. There may be a period of three years or more between the initiation and the completion of a scheme, even where the administrative and legal procedures and the building operations are carried out without any avoidable delays. The proportion of time occupied in each such procedure and operation is, however, likely to vary as between one scheme and another. I would invite the Deputy's attention to my reply to a somewhat similar question by Deputy Jones on 5th March last.
5.
asked the Minister for Local Government whether he has ascertained what proportion of the time devoted to the actual building operations in the provision of local authority housing would be saved by the use of system building methods; and whether he has any suggestions for the shortening of the very considerable time which elapses during the course of providing local authority housing, owing to administrative and legal processes, sanctioning delays, etc.
The proportion of time which would be saved in actual building operations in this country by the use of system building methods would depend on circumstances, such as the particular system used as well as the factors affecting the site of a particular scheme and the area in which it may be located.
I understand, however, that the application of certain industrialised building methods to the erection of dwellings in certain other countries has enabled the time for the erection of the superstructure of the particular type of dwelling erected to be halved.
With regard to the second part of the question there are a number of time consuming procedures related to the acquisition of sites, preparatory planning and documentation for contract purposes almost all of which must be followed in sequence. These procedures are constantly under review and housing authorities have been advised as and when considered necessary of the procedures to follow to ensure that delays are reduced to the minimum.
Could the Minister tell me if there is any readily accessible source from which one could get a description of what is called system building? There is a reference in Deputy Mullen's question to the practice of system building which, I understand, is a new technique in rapid construction. Is there any place where we could find out what system building is?
It would be impossible to get a description from any particular source. It is a matter of technique and is, in fact, to some extent traditional building as we know it. It is the use of prefabricated units and in the context in which I am answering the question, I am dealing with the prefabrication of the superstructure. Prefabrication is used in various operations in this country. Joinery work has been going on for years and there is also the prefabrication of the doors and windows. It is not a question to which there is a ready answer from any particular source.