With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 7 together.
I am aware that the statistics for dwellings completed for the first quarter of 1976 issued by my Department recently show a drop in the level of completions as compared with the first quarter of 1975 and that the number of local authority houses commenced in the first quarter of 1976 is slightly down compared with the first quarter of 1975.
These figures are accounted for by the accelerated pace of the local authority building activity in 1975 arising from particularly favourable building conditions during the year, which resulted in a substantial proportion of dwellings being completed last year which would normally have reached completion stage in the first quarter of 1976. Deputies are aware that in fact 8,794 local authority dwellings were completed in 1975 or about 1,300 more than the estimated level for that year. Resources available for local authority housing have been increased by 20 per cent, but because of the high level of commitments the amount available for new starts was necessarily restricted. I am reviewing the level of expenditure and output on the local authority programme at present and I will make additional allocations for further new work later in the year.
As regards the non-local authority sector, while dwellings completed in the first quarter were down in comparison with 1975 and were not as high as I would like, they were still in excess of each of the last three quarters of 1975. I understand that recent indications suggest a recovery of the position in that sector.
Generally, factors which will influence house-building activity arise from the provision for housing in the public capital programme for 1976 and the availability of loan finance from the principal lending agencies, which in total is estimated at approximately £228 million. Investment of this order should ensure that house-building activity should continue at a high level in 1976.