With the permission, of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 and 40 together.
I am very much aware that there was a huge increase in the demand for loans under the local authority house purchase and improvement loans schemes not only in Waterford city and county but in all local authority areas. Factors contributing to this increase in demand included the Government's decision to substantially increase the loan and income limits last February and also the quick response of local authorities to the request from my Department that they pay loans in instalments to overcome problems for applicants connected with bridging loan facilities.
This has resulted in considerable pressure on the available funds, although an unprecedently high allocation had been made available in the Public Capital Programme for this purpose. The matter is being kept under review and, furthermore, to ensure fair allocation of all available resources the requirements of each authority have since the end of June been assessed monthly and allocations made on that basis to the 41 local authorities operating the schemes.
An initial capital allocation of £700,000 was made to Waterford County Council in respect of the six month period ended on 30 June last. This allocation was based on the estimated requirement of the council as supplied to the Department in October 1979 and on trends in payments by the council during 1979. Since July 1 a total of £519,000 has issued to the council from the Local Loans Fund. A further instalment of £100,000 will issue from the fund on November 28 1980 and an additional instalment of £44,000 will be made available in December to bring to £1,173,000 the amount available from the fund for 1980. In addition, the council had available from its own internal capital resources a sum of £200,000 for expenditure on the loan schemes.
In so far as Waterford Corporation are concerned, the position is that an initial capital allocation of £300,000 was made in respect of the six month period ended on 30 June last. At 21 November, a total of £516,000 had issued to the corporation from the Local Loans Fund. In addition, the corporation had available at 31 October from their own internal capital resources a sum of £270,000 for expenditure on the loan schemes. An additional instalment will issue to the corporation from the Local Loans Fund at the beginning of December.
