asked the Minister for the Environment if he will provide an explanation for the 23 per cent decline in local authority house completions during the first three months of the present year, compared with the corresponding period of the previous year; and if he will outline the measures at present being taken by the Government to reverse this trend.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Local Authority Housing .
23.
: The primary factors which govern the rate of completion of new local authority dwellings in any one year are the total number of dwellings on which work is in progress at the beginning of the year, the number of dwellings commenced in the early part of the preceding year, and in the year before that, the public capital programme allocation for the local authority housing construction programme, and the level of employment on the programme during the year.
The total number of dwellings on which work was in progress at 31 December 1977 was 8,962 which was substantially higher than the 8,281 dwellings on which work was in progress at 31 December 1976. The number of dwellings started last year was 7,045, of which 1,491 were started in the first three months of 1977, compared to 7,046 dwellings started in 1976.
The public capital programme allocation for local authority housing in 1978 is £80.77 million which is a 9 per cent increase on the equivalent provision in 1977. Average monthly employment on the programme in the first three months of 1978 was 6,355 men while the equivalent figure for the first three months of 1977 was 5,884 men. On the basis of these figures, I anticipate that activity generally on the programme in 1978 should be about the same level as in 1977 but that completions this year should be higher than last year, because of the increased number of dwellings on which work was in progress at the beginning of this year and the increased employment.
The rate of completions in the first three months of 1978 is disappointing but it is too early to regard it as indicative of any general downward trend in the local authority building programme this year. I have no precise information as to the reasons for this low rate of completions. It is probably due to a complexity of factors including the upsurge in private house building, and of reconstruction and improvement work, and the consequential local or temporary shortage of finishing trades, and the high demand for, and short supply of, some building materials. It is certainly not due to shortage of finance as there is a complementary pattern of under-expenditure by housing authorities for the first three months of this year.
I am keeping the statistics of the programme under close review and will ask housing authorities to take appropriate action if the trend of under-expenditure and slow starts and completions is not reversed in the second quarter of the year.
: In view of the lengthy reply which is very interesting and with particular regard to the question of the lack of skilled trades which I accept is a contributory factor of no mean importance, on the basis of that would the Minister consider making representations to the Department of Labour, to AnCO, to the trade unions and to the construction industry to increase dramatically the number of skilled trades for the construction industry generally? I think the Minister will accept that there is a shortage not just for this year but that there has been a shortage for a number of years.
: I accept what the Deputy has said. I will discuss the matter with my colleague, the Minister for Labour, and also with the CIF. I agree with the Deputy that there is a shortage.
: Would it not be reasonable to say that the decline referred to in the question is nothing less than the thin end of the wedge for the local authority housing sector that has experienced a clear bias in Government policy since this Government came into office? That is clearly exemplified in the capital allocation referred to for Dublin city which was not even in line with inflation——
: That is an argument.
: I suppose it is. It depends on the Minister's reply. Is it not a fact that the local authority housing sector has been discriminated against by the Government——
: That is a much too long supplementary question.
: It is not a fact that the local authority housing sector has been discriminated against.
: The housing list has gone up but the allocation has not increased.
: They are not spending relative to the amount of money available. They should be further advanced with regard to their spending.
(Cavan-Monaghan): I think the Minister gave the number of completions for the first three months of 1976 and 1977. I should be very glad if he would tell the House the number of completions for the first three months of 1978.
: They are disappointing.
: I said they were disappointing. The figure for the first quarter in 1978 is 906 and for 1977 it is 1,171.
: It is half the number.
: It is not half. The Deputy should do his sums.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Has the Minister the figure for 1976?
: It is 1,506 but I would point out that the number of houses completed in 1976 was lower than in 1977.