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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Mar 1977

Vol. 297 No. 10

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Kerry Housing.

13.

asked the Minister for Local Government if he will arrange for the allocation of extra money for housing to Kerry County Council to deal with the huge backlog so as to bring the housing demand down to a reasonable level.

Since 31st March, 1973, I have provided over £5 million for Kerry County Council's housing construction programme. This unprecedented level of capital input reflects my appreciation of the urgency of the housing needs of the county.

During the last three calendar years 1974, 1975 and 1976, the council built a total of 695 dwellings, an increase of almost 44 per cent on the total number of dwellings completed during the three calendar years 1970, 1971 and 1972, preceding the change of government in March, 1973.

So far this year, I have allocated £0.630 million to the council to cover their debit balance at 31st December last and to finance work already in progress at the start of the year. I expect to notify them shortly of a further substantial allocation to allow work to be started on another 168 dwellings. I will be keeping their programme under constant review, and I hope that it may be possible to allocate further moneys later in the year to keep up the level of construction activity which is required by the housing needs of the county.

Is the Minister aware that we still have more than 1,200 applicants in need of housing? Our assessment is that the input over the next five years will be 400 applicants per year, thus increasing the original number. Will the Minister consider giving us the money to build at least 300 houses per year?

I can assure the Deputy I will take everything into consideration. I think we have been very generous to Kerry, with £5 million over a three-year period, finishing up with £1,710,000 in 1976 compared with £448,695 for the year before I took office. I think I have been very kind to Kerry; perhaps it is because I have so many friends there and visit the area very often.

I would point out to the Minister that we have a big backlog. All I am asking him to do is to increase the allocation to enable us to build at least 300 houses per year.

The Deputy can be assured that I will give Kerry County Council as much money as I can. It is rather a pity he did not press my predecessor a little harder. If he had been as anxious then as now I am quite sure we would not have the backlog that now exists. Kerry County Council and myself are doing very well.

Is the Minister aware that we were not in the position to do as much as we would have liked up to 1973 because we had to subsidise farm products to the extent of £120 million and we had not the advantage of the £78 million input that year? We could only do one job at a time.

The Deputy is well aware that there are no funds from the EEC for housing. The money is coming from the taxpayers and we are very generous to Kerry.

Is it not true that because of less emigration there is a greater demand for housing?

There is a build-up here. Deputy O'Connor is quite correct that people are looking for houses. It surprises me when I hear from people that they have been waiting up to ten years for houses. They should have been considered earlier but we are doing our best now.

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