Vol. 492 No. 3
33 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of persons on waiting lists for local authority housing at the latest date for which figures are available; the comparative figures for the equivalent dates in 1996 and 1997; the steps, if any, he is taking to reduce waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13776/98]
Local authorities carried out an assessment of housing needs at 29 March 1996. Details of the assessment for each local authority were published in the 1996 Housing Statistics Bulletin, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. The next assessment of housing needs will be carried out by local authorities in March 1999 and the results will provide the basis for the future planning of the Government's response to social housing needs.
An Action Plan for the Millennium sets out the Government's commitment to a continuing house construction programme by local authorities and voluntary groups. A programme of 3,900 housing 'starts' and acquisitions has been notified to local authorities for 1998. These, together with output from the complementary social housing measures and vacancies occurring in the existing local authority housing stock, will enable some 10,000 households to be catered for in 1998. Recent improvements in the terms of the social housing schemes are expected to increase housing output from these measures.
