asked the Minister for Local Government whether an assessment has been completed in all local authority areas of the number of houses needed to replace existing unfit dwellings; the number of ascertained unfit dwellings; and how soon they will be replaced.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unfit Dwellings.
13.
No separate assessment has been made by housing authorities of the number of houses needed to replace existing unfit dwellings. Assessments of housing needs have, however, been made in all areas in general conformity with the requirements of section 53 of the Housing Act, 1966. These assessments show that housing authorities have provisionally estimated that there are, at present, approximately 29,000 families living in dwellings which are regarded by them as unfit and incapable of repair at reasonable cost. Because of demographic and other factors such as recurring vacancies in existing housing estates, a proportion of these families will not need to be rehoused in new dwellings. Pending detailed examination by my Department of the housing needs assessments, and the submission to me of building programmes under section 54 of the Housing Act, 1966, it is not possible to say when necessary replacements of existing unfit dwellings will be completed. It is well however to bear in mind that, because of normal obsolescence, the problem of unfitness in dwellings is a continuing one.
Output of local authority dwellings has been rising for some years and is now running at about 4,000 units per annum. Overall housing output has also been rising steadily and substantially, and in the year 1967 completions reached over 12,000 units.