Vol. 510 No. 6
319 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of housing starts deemed by his Department as being necessary to meet requirements in County Kildare in the 12 month period beginning 1 January 1999; the number of housing starts in that period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23662/99]
The Kildare housing authorities were notified on 15 January last of their approved 1999 local authority housing programmes amounting to 165 housing starts and, as with other authorities, the Kildare housing authorities furnish returns to my Department on a quarterly basis showing the number of houses started. These returns show that for the first two quarters of 1999 the Kildare authorities started a total of 28 houses. Figures for the actual number of starts achieved for the year 1999 will not be available to my Department until early next year.
320 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has sought or received information from Kildare County Council with a purpose of ascertaining the degree to which the public authority building programme and other initiatives have reduced the number of persons on the local authority waiting list in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23663/99]
The results of the assessment of housing needs undertaken by local authorities at the end of March last indicated a total of 1,126 households in need of local authority housing in Kildare. In addition the housing needs of a further 376 households were considered as being most suitably met by other social housing measures including voluntary housing or rent supplementation.
321 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the number of houses made available and allocated under the affordable housing initiative in County Kildare since June 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23664/99]
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. Responsibility for inviting, processing and approving applications under the scheme rests with the individual local authorities.
I understand that on 1 July Kildare County Council invited submissions from developers with a view to providing houses at Celbridge, Clane, Kilcock, Kildare, Leixlip, Monasterevin, Prosperous, Rathangan and Sallins. A project officer was recently appointed with responsibility for co-ordinating affordable housing initiatives in the county. On the basis of submissions they have received the council has commenced negotiations with land owners/developers with a view to providing approximately 61 housing units in central Kildare. Further negotiations with land owners/developers will take place in relation to further submissions received.
