asked the Minister for Local Government if any progress is being made to overcome the backlog of housing requirements in this country; and, if so, when such backlog will be eradicated.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Backlog.
14.
I would not like the Deputy or anybody else to think that the "backlog of housing requirements" is a static figure which can be reduced or eradicated simply by building a given number of houses. The demand for houses is dynamic and, as experience here and elsewhere shows, the greater the degree of development within an economy the greater generally is the demand for houses—resulting from obsolescence of the fabric of the buildings, increases in the number of households, and the rise in standards which ensures that houses acceptable in one generation are regarded as substandard in the next.
It was for this reason that the Government's current housing objectives were not expressed as being the construction of a given number of houses to eradicate a backlog. They were expressed as the approximate doubling of output to a level of 12,000 to 14,000 houses a year, between 1964, when the objectives were published, and 1970. In the last financial year, 12,017 houses were, in fact, produced and output in the current financial year is expected to be of the order of 13,000 houses.
Would the Minister not agree that the backlog of houses is not being reduced in any way by the Government's programme and, for that reason, would he not consider the need for a greater expansion of housing, not only in the city of Dublin but over the whole country—every-where?
As I said, this is not a question of a backlog. It is a question of a continuous generation of new demand. The target that was set by the Government for 1970 has already been reached and, as I have pointed out to the Deputy, is being expanded in the present year. It is obvious that the amount of housing activity that can take place in any particular year depends on the level of economic activity in the country as a whole.
Does that not mean that we have to live with the backlog of houses indefinitely?
I would say that there will always be need for new houses.
As long as we have Fianna Fáil. As long as you are in Local Government.
Yes. I hope there will always be continuous need for new houses. I hope the improvement in standards and in the economy will continue, and it will continue under Fianna Fáil, I agree.
Does the Minister not agree that his plans are way off?
Your backlog of 1958 to 1962 has not been caught up with. You reduced the number to 4,000 houses a year.
The target which it was hoped to reach by 1970 has been exceeded already.
There were no houses built from 1958 to 1962.
The number was reduced to 4,000 a year.
If Deputy Donegan can resolve the difference with Deputy Ryan, who demanded that all the increased money available for capital development this year should be made available to the private sector, this is a matter to be decided within the Fine Gael Party.
That is not true.
In so far as this Government are concerned, we endeavour each year to allocate the maximum feasible amount of capital to this purpose and that is why we are able to continue housing activity at a high level over a long period rather than collapse after a short period of three years, as each of the Coalition Governments did.
Think of all the splendid office buildings that have been built and rented.
Think of your own Front Bench's demand, that the increased capacity of the community be made available for the private sector only; in other words, that less and less houses be built. That demand was made here by Deputy Ryan who I think is a member of the Fine Gael Party but one never knows these days who is.
(Interruptions.)