Vol. 494 No. 4
355 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of persons registered on the housing list as administered by each local authority; the number of houses to be built and available to these applicants in the year ending 31 December 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18545/98]
360 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the total number of persons registered on the housing list as administered by each local authority; the number of houses likely to be built and available to such applicants in the year ending 31 December 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18728/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 355 and 360 together.
The 1996 assessment of housing needs disclosed that the number of households assessed as in need of local authority housing at 29 March 1996 was 27,427. Details of the assessment, including a breakdown of housing needs for each local authority, are given in my Department's housing statistics bulletin for 1996 which is available in the Oireachtas Library. The next assessment of housing need will be carried out by local authorities in March 1999. Guidelines in relation to the carrying out of the assessment will issue shortly to local authorities.
I expect that about 3,500 houses will be completed or purchased by local authorities in 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. Having regard to increasing needs, I will be seeking additional resources for social housing in the 1999 Estimates.
