asked the Minister for the Environment the amount of money required by each local authority at 31 December 1980 (a) for the payment of small-dwelling acquisition loans to qualified applicants and (b) the amount of money required to pay contractors for local authority houses.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - SDA Loans.
20.
Statistics of the amount of money required to meet the commitments of each local authority on foot of SDA loans approved and not paid at 31 December 1980 are not yet available. The figures at 30 September 1980 are as set out in a tabular statement which, with the approval of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to circulate with the Official Report.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to payments due to contracts for local authority houses is not available in my Department. The conditions of contract generally used by authorities stipulate that payment must be made within a certain period, normally 14 days on foot of certificates issued to the authority showing the amount due in respect of work already done. Such payments made by local authorities are recouped periodically by issues from the Local Loans Fund. Authorities are not required to notify the Department of payments due to be paid by them at any specific time.
Following is the statement:
|
Local Authority |
Approved applications on hands of authorities at 30th |
|
Carlow Co. Council |
1,234,625 |
|
Cavan Co. Council |
2,703,711 |
|
Clare Co. Council |
4,267,275 |
|
Cork Co. Council |
12,042,645 |
|
Donegal Co. Council |
1,980,000 |
|
Dublin Co. Council |
3,802,330 |
|
Dun Laoghaire B.C. |
96,000 |
|
Galway Co. Council |
3,791,200 |
|
Galway B.C. |
143,775 |
|
Kerry Co. Council |
5,810,800 |
|
Kildare Co. Council |
535,600 |
|
Kilkenny Co. Council |
2,438,750 |
|
Kilkenny B.C. |
140,600 |
|
Laois Co. Council |
2,661,000 |
|
Leitrim Co. Council |
1,026,000 |
|
Limerick Co. Council |
5,199,188 |
|
Longford Co. Council |
1,907,955 |
|
Louth Co. Council |
1,151,250 |
|
Drogheda B.C. |
275,600 |
|
Dundalk U.D.C. |
276,550 |
|
Mayo Co. Council |
6,985,648 |
|
Meath Co. Council |
2,583,950 |
|
Monaghan Co. Council |
735,312 |
|
Offaly Co. Council |
2,684,729 |
|
Roscommon Co. Council |
1,818,180 |
|
Sligo Co. Council |
1,024,900 |
|
Sligo B.C. |
70,500 |
|
Tipperary (N.R.) Co. Council |
2,407,600 |
|
Tipperary (S.R.) Co. Council |
1,161,176 |
|
Clonmel B.C. |
31,250 |
|
Waterford Co. Council |
1,208,625 |
|
Westmeath Co. Council |
567,700 |
|
Athlone U.D.C. |
49,000 |
|
Wexford Co. Council |
2,961,845 |
|
Wexford B.C. |
96,000 |
|
Wicklow Co. Council |
1,672,500 |
|
Bray U.D.C. |
158,850 |
|
Cork C.B.C. |
2,801,044 |
|
Dublin C.B.C. |
2,418,412 |
|
Limerick C.B.C. |
284,000 |
|
Waterford C.B.C. |
142,825 |
Numerous local authorities have stated that they do not have the money to pay contractors for local authority houses they are erecting and at least one local authority has been reported in the local press as being £6 million short for 1980. I should like to know if the Minister is in a position to get that type of information. Is the Minister saying that local authorities do not inform the Department if they are in debt under any of those headings or in surplus at the end of a year?
The information for the period mentioned will be coming into the Department. I do not want the impression created that local authorities are short of money in the way the Deputy has suggested. I do not have any responsibility for what appears in press reports. I have given the information about the local authority of which I was a member and I expect that the same position applies to other local authorities. It is not true to say that local authorities are short of money in this regard or that they are in debt.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Why is it that some local authorities had to put men on a three day week last year?
Will the Minister get the information I sought and make it available to me.
Yes.
Is the Minister prepared to have a quick check on the amount of money required for SDA loans? If he does he may find out that my statement to the effect that local authorities are millions of pounds short in SDA money is correct.
We are in constant touch with local authorities about SDA loans. I am not aware of any local authority that is short of money for SDA loans.
(Cavan-Monaghan): Has the Minister been in touch with Monaghan County Council recently because they sent out a letter to the effect that they do not have any money to pay a Mr. Feeney a loan until they get it from the Department.
I should like to inform the Minister that Mayo County Council are in dire straits at the moment.
Westmeath County Council are in the same position.
Is the Minister aware that he is placing local authorities in an impossible position because money is paid out on an irregular basis? For that reason they cannot pay out money because they do not know when or how much they will get in any given period. There are many people on overdrafts and local authorities are in the same position because of the irregular method of payment by the Department. Is the Minister denying that between last September and December local authorities were in a state of confusion because of lack of finance? Is he aware that that situation existed?
I am aware that more money has been made available to local authorities for SDA loans than at any time previously.
Is the Minister aware that most of the local authorities were broke for the last three months of 1980?
That is not true; that is false propaganda.
The Minister should ask the county manager in Kildare about this because he published that fact.
The General Council of County Councils also published those facts.
Is the Minister aware that officials of Kilkenny County Council informed applicants for SDA loans that they do not have the money to pay those loans?
I am not so aware.
Several county councils have said that.
Will the Minister accept my word for it?
I am not so aware. We are in constant touch with local authorities with regard to SDA loans.
Will the Minister give me a guarantee, if he is not aware, that money for such loans will be freely available to Kilkenny County Council?
I will not guarantee any Deputy anything with regard to this because it must depend on the number of applicants for such loans. I want to assure the Deputy that, as far as I am aware, there is not any local authority which does not have sufficient funds for such loans.
If the Minister believes that, he will believe anything.
Questions Nos. 21 to 24 inclusive, are gone for written reply.