asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state in respect of the rates of local government subsidy for local authority houses in (a) County Meath and (b) County Dublin, the amount of the building costs which attract subsidy at present; the date on which the existing rate of subsidy commenced; the average tender prices for local authority houses in each area in the period of six months immediately before the current rate of subsidy was fixed; and the average tender prices in those areas during the six months ended 30th April, 1968.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Subsidies.
23.
The subsidisable limits for local authority housing are prescribed in the Housing Authorities (Loan Charges Contributions and Management) Regulations, 1967. They are £2,600 for a flat in a building of six or more storeys, £2,200 for other flats, £1,650 for a serviced house and £1,100 for an unserviced house. These limits, other than those for high flats, are the same as the limits prescribed in the Housing (Loan Charges Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations, 1962, which applied to houses financed from loans sanctioned, or schemes started, on or after 1st April, 1961. The new limit for high flats applies to flats provided after April, 1967. At current interest rates the subsidy amounts to an annual payment per dwelling for 50 years of up to about £125 for a high flat, £106 for other flats, £80 for serviced houses and £53 for unserviced houses.
Average tender prices of local authority houses in the county health districts of Dublin and Meath were about £1,780 and £1,519 respectively, in the six months ended 30th April, 1962, and £2,396 and £2,345, respectively in the six months ended on the 30th April, 1968. In the case of Meath, only one scheme was tendered for in the two periods and in the case of Dublin only one scheme in one period. While these figures relate to the same broad category the standards, and therefore the figures, are not necessarily comparable.
I may add that in 1961-62 the State subsidy met about 28 per cent of total current expenditure on local authority housing, contributions from the rates a further 28 per cent, and rents and annuities paid by tenants and miscellaneous receipts the remaining 44 per cent. It is estimated that these proportions will be approximately the same in the current financial year.