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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 27 Oct 1994

Vol. 446 No. 5

Written Answers. - Housing Crisis.

Seán Barrett

Question:

4 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has to deal with the ongoing housing crisis as a result of the increasing numbers on local authority housing lists and also the large number of homeless persons seeking permanent accommodation. [2405/94]

The Government's plans for responding to housing needs are set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government which states clearly that the aim of the Government's policies will be to reduce pressure on local authority waiting lists to the greatest extent possible. In particular, the Government is committed to speeding up implementation of the plan for social housing and to making a much more substantial provision for local authority housing. These commitments are re-iterated in the Programme for Competitiveness and Work and are being met in full.

I do not accept, as suggested in the question, that there is a housing crisis. The Government have demonstrated its commitment to reduce local authority housing lists by the extra funds it has provided over the last two years to expand the house building programme, to promote greater use of the various schemes in the plan for social housing and to fund increased activity in the voluntary housing sector.
The overall housing capital allocation for 1994 is almost £302 million an increase of over £113 million or 60 per cent on the 1993 outturn of £189 million. The 1994 budget contained the following special capital provisions to increase output of new dwellings and improve existing dwellings; an extra £12 million for the local authority house building programme; an extra £2.5 million for the remedial works scheme; an extra £1.5 million for the installation of bathrooms; an extra £2 million for the task force on housing aid for the elderly; a special new provision of £3 million to supplement the resources of local authorities with large flat complexes in meeting the cost of replacement of defective windows.
Local authorities and voluntary bodies have responded positively to the provision of these extra resources. I expect that, between the local authority, voluntary and other programmes, together with vacancies arising in the local authority rented housing stock, over 9,000 households in housing need will be accommodated this year and again in 1995. This number compares very favourably with the corresponding figures of 7,100 in 1993 and 6,100 in 1992. It means that annual social housing output will have increased by 50 per cent in two years. It follows, therefore, that with the Government supporting an annual availability of over 9,000 units of accommodation, there is improved general access to housing and a shortening of the length of the time on waiting lists. Homeless people seeking permanent housing, along with other categories of persons in need, benefit from the larger number of units of accommodation becoming available.
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