asked the Minister for the Environment if he will consider increasing the proposed capital allocations for housing construction to Dublin Corporation and other local authorities where it can be clearly shown that the proposed allocation is inadequate to cope with the existing need or likely demand.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Construction Allocations.
6.
Capital allocations to housing authorities, including Dublin Corporation, for their local authority housing construction programmes are made each year within the total amount provided for this purpose, nationally, in the public capital programme. In deciding the PCP provision, the Government have regard, inter alia, to ascertained local authority housing needs.
Allocations made to individual authorities are kept under review by me during the year and appropriate adjustments to these allocations are made where necessary, within available resources, having regard to many factors, including the comparative urgency of the housing needs of each area, the level of expenditure on the programme in the area, the stage of planning of schemes, the availability of contracting resources and the level of employment. The position in relation to Dublin Corporation will be considered by me in the course of these reviews.
Could I ask the Minister to clearly state whether or not he would be agreeable to considering a special request from Dublin Corporation in view of the fact that they are very dissatisfied with the allocation which is a mere 5 per cent increase on last year's figure, a figure they went to the Minister about because they were so unhappy with it?
Like most local authorities, I will be considering it in about two months' time, at the end of the half year, when we will have a review completed of the present situation.
The national limit on increased local authority expenditure does not appear to allow for the kind of selective consideration which the Minister now appears to be willing to grant. Apart from the general review which the Minister is talking about is he willing to consider specific applications for extra money where there is a clear need?
Allocations are always based on the need for and priority of the schemes which are proposed.
Is it true that the allocation paid to Donegal County Council—I presume taking care of what is yet to be finished and what is already under way—will allow for the cost only of 20,000 houses in that county during the coming year?
Fifteen thousand.
That is a separate question.
What is separate about it?
Other areas as well as Dublin Corporation are included in the question.
It will be considered at the end of June.
Is it true that the actual allocation over and above what will be required to meet present needs would only equal the cost of 15,000 to 20,000 houses as of now and what will happen later?
Where Donegal and other local authorities are concerned most of the money went towards commitments already entered into. Taking commitments nationally into consideration, the amount of money left was not very much for new starts. All these local authorities will be coming up for consideration at the end of June when the overall position will be reviewed.
Is the Minister aware that Donegal County Council applied to his Department for £2.3 million to commence building new houses and the amount received was £275,000, something over a £¼ million, which means that Donegal County Council will be building 15,000 new houses this year? The money the Minister talks about to finish old schemes does not arise and the council——
The Deputy may not make a speech.
I am asking the Minister——
The Deputy should permit the Minister to answer.
(Interruptions.)
Is it the Chair or the Minister who is answering questions in the House?
The Chair orders and regulates to the best of its ability.
I want to finish my question. Is the Minister aware that Donegal County Council have now postponed, because of lack of finance, their entire housing programme for 1979 and that we have declared a state of emergency? I propose to raise this matter on the Adjournment this evening, with the consent of the Chair.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
Donegal County Council should be as aware as any other local authority——
The Government built glasshouses last year.
Order.
——that that was the first allocation.
The Chair should also be aware of the housing problem in Donegal.
The Chair is aware that the Deputy is not in order.
In view of the Minister's reply to Deputies Keating and Blaney could he give any indication to the House that the review to which he referred will be one that will result in extra funds being made available to local authorities? It is all very well to have reviews; that would be normal practice. Will any sweetness come from the review so that local authorities around the country from Donegal to Dublin will get some of the cash they need to build houses?
There will be extra money available to some local authorities. There are other local authorities who would be unable to spend their allocations at this stage. If I remember correctly, Dublin Corporation was one of those last year.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is the Minister satisfied that many local authorities have only received sufficient sums to enable them to complete existing schemes and that they have not received sufficient sums to enable them to complete new schemes? Is the Minister saying now that he proposes to review the position in about two months' time with a view to making further allocations? Will the result of that be that new schemes will not be commenced until the year is nearly over?
No. All local authorities get an allocation for new starts as distinct from commitments they have already entered into. The review at the half year is not something new.
The Minister has no money.
It happens each year and has happened for many years.
That is the point.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Is it not different this year because the allocation did not permit of any new starts in local authority areas?
It does permit new starts. Further starts would not commence until the second half of the year anyway because——
The Minister has no time for poor people.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
We have more money this year than last year and far more than in 1976.
(Interruptions.)
Perhaps the Minister could indicate the answer to two questions. First, it is right to assume that what he is proposing now is that he will take back from some local authorities money they did not spend and give it to others so that the overall expenditure will be the same as at the beginning of the year? Secondly, if that is not the case, how much extra money does the Minister propose to make available nationally to the local authority housing stock to be subsequently divided among the various authorities?
The answer to the second question is no. With regard to the first question when we are in a position to judge whether local authorities will be able to spend the amount of money already allocated we will then know——
We built 25,000 houses.
The review is not something new. It happens every year and is not a new departure.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Surely the Minister appreciates that the effect of the juggling between one area and another will mean a considerable slowing down in the number of houses being built this year.
No. If the rate of house building which we had in the first three months of this year continues——
Who built them?
——We will have over 32,000 houses built.
If the Minister tries hard enough it may be 33,000.
That is the present trend.
(Interruptions.)
We are talking about local authority housing.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Has the Minister no concern about people who cannot afford to house themselves?
The Minister is not interested.
Yes, I have concern for them. We will continue to maintain our programme.
The Minister is cloaking the fact that his Department have no capital allocation for Donegal County Council.
If the Deputy puts down a separate question about Donegal I will give him the figures in the first allocation.
Why should I have to put down a separate question when the question relates to "other local authorities"?