Vol. 397 No. 10
42 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for the Environment if he proposes to publish a White Paper on housing in the 1990s having regard to the need to redefine Irish housing policy, in the light of substantial demographic changes, considerable housing achievement in the 1970s and 1980s, the changing nature of household formation and the age of the existing housing stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
While I have no proposals at present to publish a White Paper on housing, I continue to review housing policy on a regular basis having regard to all relevant matters. It will be reviewed again in the current year in the context of the preparation of the 1991 Estimates and the replacement of the Programme for National Recovery.
I should also mention that local authorities in co-operation with my Department are currently carrying out a sample survey of existing housing conditions as part of an exercise to estimate total housing requirements up to 1993, including requirements for new house building and improvements to existing housing.
