asked the Minister for Local Government (1) what was the poor law housing rate in Dublin city and how much it yields, (2) the total value of rates collected from Dublin Corporation tenants, (3) the amount of grants available to persons buying their own homes in Dublin from local and central funds, (4) the percentage deposit required by (a) a Dublin Corporation tenant, and (b) a person other than a corporation tenant under the Small Dwellings Acquisition Acts for the purchase of (i) a new house and (ii) a previously occupied house, (5) the interest rate charged by Dublin Corporation on loans, (6) the period over which the corporation will permit repayments to be made, (7) what is the average time over a recent convenient period between the receipt of an application for an SDA loan by Dublin Corporation and its being granted, and (8) how this compares with a similar convenient period in 1956-57.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Housing Loans.
I am informed by Dublin Corporation that their housing rate for the current year is 6/5¾d and that it is estimated to produce £992,077; that the total value of rates collected from Dublin Corporation tenants in 1964-65 was £1,006,101; that the corporation make supplementary grants equal to the State grant to corporation tenants who surrender their tenancies and to persons on the corporation's approved waiting list for housing, and that they pay 75 per cent of the State grant in other cases; that, in respect of both new and previously occupied houses, the corporation make loans of 99 per cent of the net valuation of the house, as determined by them, to persons who surrender the tenancy of a corporation house and of 95 per cent to other eligible applicants; that the interest rate at present charged by the corporation on loans is 6¾ per cent and the period for repayment varies from ten to 35 years; that the average length of time at present between the receipt of an application for a loan and the granting of approval is five weeks for a new house and three weeks for a previously occupied house; that, in 1956-57, three months was the normal period between the receipt of an application for a loan in respect of a new house and the granting of approval and that the corporation did not have a scheme of loans in respect of previously occupied houses at that time.
State grants of £275 for a 5-roomed house, £225 for a 4-roomed house and £175 for a 3-roomed house are normally available in respect of serviced houses built in Dublin. Where the house is provided by a public utility society the amounts of the grants are increased by £10.
8.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will take steps to ensure that citizens of Dublin city, who are purchasing a new house in the areas administered by the Dublin County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Borough will receive the same facilities in respect of loans and grants under the Small Dwelling Acquisition Acts as they would receive if they were to purchase a similar house in the area administered by Dublin Corporation; and if he considers that the time has arrived when these three bodies should be amalgamated into one.
As a result of action taken by me earlier this year, new house purchase loan schemes have been adopted by the housing authorities in the Dublin area. There is now no material difference between the schemes operated by these authorities and none of them operates a residence qualification in relation to loans. Housing authorities themselves decide the conditions which apply to the payment of supplementary grants in their areas. Under the schemes at present in force in the Dublin area, persons from the city cannot normally obtain supplementary grants in respect of houses built outside the county borough. I have pressed the authorities concerned to come to a suitable arrangement to resolve this difficulty.
In regard to the question of amalgamating the three local authorities concerned into a unified authority, there is ample power under existing law for co-ordinated action between local authorities whose areas adjoin.