Vol. 519 No. 7
18 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the total number of houses completed in each of the past three years; the proportion of the houses completed represented by social housing; the way in which this percentage compares with the 25% estimated by the ESRI as being required for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14669/00]
I am not aware that the ESRI has suggested that 25% of housing output should be for social housing. The ESRI in its national investment priorities report recommended that local authority housing provision should be 6,000 per year. As the Deputy will be aware I have introduced, for the first time, a four year multi-annual programme of 22,000 local authority dwellings and I have asked the local authorities to front load their programmes as far as possible which means that my target for this year is very close to that of the ESRI.
Total new house completions were 38,842 units in 1997, 42,349 units in 1998 and in 1999 reached 46,512 units. New social and affordable housing units constructed in those years, including new build local authority and voluntary housing, purchases of new houses under shared ownership and affordable housing provided by local authorities are included in these annual totals. In 1997, new social and shared ownership housing units amounted to 3,523 units, representing 9% of total house completions. In 1998, 3,362 new social and shared ownership units were completed and in 1999, 3,712 completions were recorded representing 8% of total house completions in those years.
