asked the Minister for Local Government (a) the total area in sq. feet of all office blocks completed in Dublin city since 1965; and (b) the total area in sq. feet of all local authority housing in the city which has been completed since 1965.
30.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Office Blocks.
29.
asked the Minister for Local Government the total cost of all office blocks erected in Dublin city since 1965; and the total cost of all local authority housing in the city since 1965.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 30 together.
The information requested about office blocks in Dublin city is not available in my Department.
During the period from 1st April, 1965, to 31st March, 1968, a total of 4,721 local authority dwellings, with an estimated aggregate floor area of about 3½ million square feet, were completed by Dublin Corporation. Capital expenditure by the corporation on the provision of dwellings, including land clearance and acquisition, amounted to £19.1 million during the period.
In addition, during the same period, the corporation spent a further £13.6 million on maintenance and administration and on loan charges on past borrowing for local authority housing; of this amount £3.6 million was met by State subsidy, £3.6 million by way of subsidy from the rates and £6.4 million by tenants' payments in rents and annuities and by miscellaneous receipts. These figures do not include expenditure by the corporation on loans and grants for private houses.
Would the Minister say why information about office blocks is not available in his Department, since permission must be obtained from his Department for the erection of these blocks and full plans must be submitted to his Department?
They must not. There is no such requirement.
Would the Minister ascertain this information if I put down the question again?
I do not know the information.
Will the Minister endeavour to find out?
No.
Would it embarrass the Minister to find out?
No. The Government do not build office blocks; neither do local authorities. The only office block I know built by the Government is the one here.
(Interruptions.)
But the Minister knows that the Government are paying for office blocks——
What the House is trying to find out is how much per square foot the Government are paying for office accommodation.
I was not asked that. If any Deputy requires such information, he should put down the appropriate question.
(Cavan) And the Minister refused to answer it.
It would embarrass him.
It would not be a matter for my Department.
(Interruptions.)
If the Minister had respect for Deputies, he would have that information available in his file.
Would the Deputy resume his seat?
We are not concerned in any way with the building of offices.
It is difficult to embarrass the Minister, but at least——
The figure provided for housing embarrasses the Opposition.
The dead hand of Fianna Fáil fell on housing in 1954.
We can explain that, if Deputy L'Estrange wants it. All he has to do is to put down a question and it will be explained to him.
Would the Minister find out that information?
Is there any subletting of these offices? Would there be two families——
What offices is the Deputy talking about? The Government did not build any offices.
(Cavan): They refuse to say what they are paying for the offices they rented.