Vol. 508 No. 4
195 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of houses allocated to tenants by the various local authorities on a county by county basis, including urban as well as rural areas; the number of families on the housing list in these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19277/99]
Details of lettings by local authorities are published in my Department's housing statistics bulletins, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.
Details of the results of the assessment of housing needs, undertaken by local authorities at the end of March last, were released yesterday and are available in the Oireachtas Library.
196 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of families to whom affordable housing has been made available since the announcement of the housing initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19278/99]
The affordable housing scheme involves the provision by local authorities of additional new houses specifically for low income house purchasers on land provided by the local authorities. On the 8 April 1999, all housing authorities were requested to assess the extent to which the new affordable housing scheme could appropriately be used in their areas and to formulate proposals for specific developments which should be brought to construction at the earliest possible date.
The development of suitable sites, including, where necessary, the acquisition of land and the planning and construction of houses does, of necessity, require some time to arrange. Nevertheless, the new scheme is progressing satisfactorily and I expect that some 100 houses will become available under the scheme by the end of this year. There are a significant number of affordable housing projects at planning stage throughout the country and I envisage that some 1,400 houses will be provided under the scheme by the end of 2000.
