asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state (1) the number of houses erected in Éire between 1932-1942; (2) the cost of their erection, and the manner in which that cost was proportioned; (3) the total amount that housing loans in connection with the above-mentioned houses will amount to when repaid; (4) the average erection cost per house, and (5) the average total rental per house over loan period.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Statistics.
I have no information as to part (1) of the question, and no staff is available to undertake the national census that would be required to answer the-query.
If the Deputy has in mind the total number of houses erected by local authorities under the Housing (Financial and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1932, up to the 31st March, 1942, the number was 47,470. The State makes contributions to annual loan charges at varying rates over the loan period fixed—viz., 35 years. There are no statistics available in my Department in regard to the other information sought by the Deputy.
The total cost is estimated at £19,357,000. The houses were provided in the county boroughs, in other urban centres and in rural areas, and since the cost of building varied from district to district and from year to year, no figure representing the average cost of erection could properly be given. There was no division made of capital cost as between the local authorities and the State at the time the loans were raised.