Vol. 549 No. 3
298 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the amount of money allocated to each of the local authorities in 2002 to enable them to subsidise the affordable housing scheme; the number of houses he expects each local authority to subsidise under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6656/02]
Capital allocations to enable local authorities to fund the provision of dwellings under the affordable housing scheme in 2002 will be determined in my Department in the light of the information on proposed activity under the scheme which has been sought from local authorities. Within these allocations, which will be notified to authorities as soon as possible, authorities can finance expenditure by way of loans from the Housing Finance Agency, or from their own resources.
Separate allocations are not made to authorities in respect of the subsidy which may be payable by the Department towards the cost of acquisition and development of the sites of these dwellings. Expenditure incurred for this purpose by authorities is recouped by my Department on receipt of a valid claim from the authority.
Details of activity under the affordable housing scheme are published in my department's housing statistics bulletin which is available in the Oireachtas Library. Activity under the scheme increased significantly in 2001 with 1,270 dwellings in progress at the end of September compared with 381 at the end of December 2000.
Question No. 299 answered with Question No. 296.
Question No. 300 answered with Question No. 293.
