Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 Nov 2003

Vol. 575 No. 4

Written Answers. - Local Authority Housing.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

146 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the number of families currently on housing waiting lists in County Kildare; the number of houses likely to be provided for them in the next four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28604/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

147 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the number of families currently on housing waiting lists throughout the country; the number of houses likely to be provided for them in the next four years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28605/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

149 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the number of families on the housing lists of the various local authorities in County Kildare; and the number of houses being provided by those local authorities in 2003. [28607/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

152 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the number of families removed from the housing list as determined by the various local authorities in 2003; the effect this has had on the numbers on the housing waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28613/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

153 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the number of local authority houses built and occupied through the aegis of each local authority in 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28614/03]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. N. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 147, 149, 152 and 153 together.

The results of the statutory assessment of local authority housing need, which was undertaken by local authorities in March 2002, indicated that a total of 48,413 households were in need of housing, of which 32,891 were households consisting of two or more persons. The number of such households in need of housing in the three local authorities in County Kildare is set out in the following table:

Local Authority	Number of Households on the Waiting List at end March 2002
Kildare County Council	1,138
Athy Town Council	81
Naas Town Council	189

Detailed information on the results of the 2002 assessment was published in my Department's September 2002 quarterly edition of the housing statistics bulletin, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library.

It is estimated that 5,000 houses will be completed or acquired by local authorities in 2003, including output from new house completions in Ballymun and under other regeneration programmes. Detailed information on the number of completions for each local authority for 2003 will be available in my Department's annual housing statistics bulletin to be published in early 2004.

The Sustaining Progress special initiative on housing and accommodation reflected the Government's expectation that the resources available in 2003 would allow for the needs of about 12,000 households to be met through the various social and affordable housing measures. I am confident that the actual provision this year will be above that level. The 2003 provision will meet the needs of over 12,000 households and this will be further boosted by affordable housing coming on-stream through Part V agreements, bringing the total provision close to 13,000. This compares to almost 8,500 in 1998. This will have a positive impact on the numbers on the waiting lists.

Local authorities are currently implementing their housing construction programmes on the basis of a multi-annual programme over the period 2000-2003. The Department will be contacting local authorities in the near future to obtain details of proposed house building programmes for 2004 and subsequent years. This will enable the Department to make house start allocations for each local authority.