asked the Minister for Local Government if his Department provide funds for houses for industrial workers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Industrial Workers' Houses.
3.
The public capital programme allocation of £1.3 million to the National Building Agency for 1976 will finance work in progress at 31st December last on the construction of houses for industrial workers and will meet certain housing commitments assisted by the European Coal and Steel Community. Apart from this provision there are no funds at my disposal for the construction of additional houses specially for industrial workers.
Industrial workers who qualify in the normal way for rehousing by the local authority, in accordance with the approved statutory scheme of letting priorities, or for local authority housing loans, or State or supplementary housing grants may, of course, be assisted in their rehousing out of the £117.75 million allocated to me under the 1976 public capital programme for these purposes.
Are we to take it from what the Minister has said that he has no funds at his disposal to build houses for industrial workers? Will the Minister tell the House where the finance will come from to construct houses in the north Mayo area since the Minister for Industry and Commerce in a reply to me last week said he had no money available for this type of worker?
I am responsible only for the allocation of funds to local government and out of that there is a special priority. The Department of Local Government, through the National Building Agency, erected some houses for industrial workers and for others during the years on an agency basis. This is not being done so I assume the funds will become available through the IDA or from the Department of Industry and Commerce. I cannot say where the money will come from because it is not a matter for me.
Is the Minister aware that 150 houses are needed in this area as a matter of extreme urgency in the next 12 months? As Deputy MacSharry has pointed out, there are many people living in caravans. The Minister is a member of a party that campaigned against our entry into the EEC——
That is irrelevant to the question.
Is the Minister aware that a deputation met the Taoiseach in Ballina in early March and expressed anxiety about rehousing in this area?
I am not responsible for the rehousing of people except those who are rehoused under the schemes submitted by local authorities. I suggest that the Deputy take up the matter elsewhere. It is not my responsibility.