andDr. O'Connell asked the Minister for Local Government the estimated cost of providing for local authority housing and roads on the scale obtaining at present in the six north-eastern counties of Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing and Roads Costs.
113.
Dr. Browne
The terms of the question do not allow valid comparisons to be made on the basis of housing and roads programmes which differ in respect of content, methods of financing and needs to be met. As regards housing, our total output of new houses in 1970-71 was somewhat in excess of that reached in the Six Counties. In the Six Counties a higher proportion of the total output is provided by public authorities. Our assistance by way of grants and loans to persons providing their own houses are more generous than in the Six Counties and this is reflected in the higher proportion of private houses being built here. This difference would make comparisons even more difficult.
As regards roads, the latest available figures are for 1969-70 in which year gross expenditure in the Twentysix Counties was £19.3 million as compared with £20.4 million in the Six Counties.