(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for the Environment the date on which housing authorities were notified of their financial allocations in the years 1977, 1978 and 1979 and the amount allocated each year, and when he proposes to notify them in respect of 1980 and the reason for the delay.
Written Answers. - Housing Finance Allocations.
228.
: The allocations of capital funds to housing authorities, with the exceptions of Dublin Corporation and Dublin County Council, for their local authority housing construction programmes have in recent years been made in three phases: (1) Initial allocations to meet existing commitments on hands at the beginning of the year; (2) Allocations to finance new work started in the first part of the year; (3) Further allocations at varying times throughout the year following detailed reviews of expenditure.
In 1977, 1978 and 1979 commitments allocations were notified to housing authorities on 22, 16, and 14 February in each year respectively. I expect to notify authorities of their 1980 commitments allocations shortly.
The initial allocations for new works in each of the years 1977, 1978 and 1979 were made in 22 March, 30 March and 10 April respectively. Capital allocations were made to Dublin Corporation and Dublin County Council at the start of each year which included provision for both existing commitments and new work for the full year.
The full amounts of the public capital programme provision for local authority housing were allocated to housing authorities in 1977, 1978 and 1979 as follows:—
1977—£74.1 million; 1978—£80.77 million; 1979—£87.5 million. Authorities were authorised each year to incur additional expenditure by way of working overdraft to an aggregate amount of approximately 10 per cent of the public capital programme provisions.
With regard to house purchase and improvement loans and supplementary grants, an initial allocation is normally made to each local authority in the beginning of the year in respect of the six month period ending on 30 June. A further allocation is made in July in each year. In 1977, 1978 and 1979 initial allocations were notified to authorities on 22 February, 7 February and 14 February respectively. An initial allocation for 1980 was notified to authorities on 11 March.
The amounts allocated to local authorities in 1977, 1978 and 1979 for the payment of houses purchase and improvement loans and supplementary grants were as follows: 1977—£19.7 million; 1978—£37 million and 1979—£46.0 million.
The dates of all allocations are affected by the date of the budget which this year was presented on 27 February.