asked the Minister for Local Government if the proposal by Ennis Urban Council for 102 new houses at Cloughleigh, Ennis, County Clare, has been sanctioned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Clare Housing.
32.
A proposal from the council to accept a tender for a scheme of 102 houses is under consideration in my Department. I will give my decision on it as quickly as possible.
Would the Minister say if there is any possibility of having it decided in the near future in view of the need for more housing in the area?
Of course, Deputy Barrett is aware that the housing list there was exhausted in September, 1976; everybody on the housing list was rehoused. I see Deputy Tunney smiling. I am sure he would like Dublin to be in the same position. Of the 66 houses completed in 1976, 26 were let to two-person families and 16 to three-person families. The council have 41 applications on hand at present. Therefore, by any stretch of the imagination, there would not be an argument for 102 new houses on an application list of 41. All this has to be gone into before a decision is made.
Is the Minister aware that the population grows very rapidly in this area and that they had 65 applications for four houses very recently, the last time they advertised.
I am aware also that on the previous occasion they built so many houses they had no applications for the last eight or 10. Subsequent to that the people way down at the bottom of the list were able to be rehoused. As a result they re-advertised them and naturally there was a very large number of applicants. I think Deputy Barrett will agree that Ennis has been particularly well served over the last few years and before that, so that they have not a big complaint at present. It will be dealt with as quickly as possible.
Could the Minister sanction part of the scheme in order to satisfy the present need and have a start made on the building?
I imagine that when the application list has been cleared finally there will be a much smaller number than the application list that has been sent in. I would assume that is the way it would be dealt with.