asked the Minister for Local Government if he will consider the possibility of increasing the appropriate subsidy payable to Dublin Corporation in respect of the houses and flats which they provide for a period of two years at least.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Subsidies.
10.
The amount of State subsidy towards the cost of Dublin Corporation housing will have increased by an estimated 99 per cent in the five years to 31st March next. In these circumstances I do not consider an increase in subsidy of the sort mentioned by the Deputy would be justified.
I may add that I have already introduced a special subsidy for flats in buildings over five storeys and relaxed the conditions for the payment of subsidy for the re-housing of subtenants from local authority houses. These concessions should be of considerable benefit to the corporation.
May I ask the Minister if he would consider abolishing the differential in subsidies? At the moment, either one-third or two-thirds, according to the merits of the case is paid to get a family rehoused. If there were a flat rate of two-thirds it would help very much indeed. The Corporation does not or should not house people who do not qualify for housing. The application of a flat rate of two-thirds subsidy would ease the position greatly and the amount saved in investigation of cases would materially help to reduce costs.
The first objective must be to build as many new houses as possible and the more spent on subsidy the less there is available for the more essential purpose of building new houses. The subsidy paid by the State has grown from £.6 million in 1948-49 to an estimated £4.2 million in the present year. That is a substantial increase.