asked the Minister for the Environment the proposals, if any, to increase the number of developed sites made available by local authorities for the provision of private houses by individual housing co-operatives and small builders.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Developed Housing Sites.
15.
In a circular letter issued on the 31 August 1978 I requested housing authorities to consider the development of part of their land reserves with a view to making developed sites available for private housing as an incentive to tenants or prospective tenants of their rented dwellings to provide their own accommodation.
To encourage authorities to engage in this activity, I had earlier increased, with the approval of the Government, from £900 to £1,500, the subsidisable cost limit on each developed site. The increased rate of subsidy applied to sites provided by authorities on or after 1 August 1978. The authorities have been told that subsidised sites may also be allocated to co-operative housing groups in which a reasonable proportion of the members are eligible for local authority house-purchase loans, and to persons proposing to build houses for their own occupation who are in a category eligible for local authority house-purchase loans.
Is the Minister aware that despite the alleged inducements to local authorities to do as he says, the facts are that the attractiveness of the developed sites as far as builders are concerned is diminishing more and more and that at the moment the second largest local authority in the country, Dublin Corporation, have not one acre of developed sites available within Dublin city boundary?
There are 165 sites being developed in Dublin city at the moment.
Where?
Being developed in Dublin city.
They are in the county.
No. There are 32 in the county.
They are all in the county. I have checked.
I said there are 165 being developed by Dublin City Council.
Would the Minister tell us where?
I will send the information to the Deputy.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Dublin Corporation cannot develop outside their area.
Dublin county is being developed separately.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Does the Minister not appreciate that Dublin Corporation cannot develop sites in the county? Is he satisfied that all the sites which he says are being developed in the city area——
I appreciate that some of them could be outside the city area.
Every one of them?