asked the Minister for Local Government if he has given sanction for the Gorey housing scheme in French's field, County Wexford tenders for which were submitted to his Department last year.
23.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Wexford Housing Schemes.
22.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will give sanction for a further eight houses to be constructed at Bellefield Road, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, tenders for which have been submitted to his Department for approval.
24.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he has sanctioned the housing tenders submitted to him regarding Ferns, County Wexford.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 23 and 24 together.
The proposal to accept a tender for the erection of 20 houses at French's Field, Gorey, is under consideration in the Department.
My approval was given last September to the council's proposals for a further eight houses at Bellefield, Enniscorthy. The council's proposals to raise a loan to meet the cost of these houses is under consideration.
My Department is at present consulting with housing authorities generally in regard to their capital allocation for local authority housing in the coming financial year. When these consultations have been finalised, shortly, I will be in a position to give a decision on these proposals.
No tender for the erection of a housing scheme at Ferns has been submitted for my approval.
Will the Minister indicate when he received a tender for the houses at French's Field, Gorey?
That would have been last August.
Will he state why there has been such delay?
Because they have no money.
Not because there is no money but because there is a greater volume of work than money and, indeed, a greater volume of work than there has been for many years.
Is the Minister further aware that no houses have been built in Gorey for years and years? Could the Minister not give some idea as to whether he will sanction the building of these houses or not? If he will not give sanction for them, will he state why not?
The blaming of the Minister of today for the non-building of houses in Gorey can scarcely be sustained when the Deputy himself says that for years and years there have been no houses built in Gorey. I have already answered the question with regard to the allocation of grants generally to all councils.
No query has come back from the Minister's office about the tender. The council is waiting for the Minister to sanction it and there is nothing to prevent the Minister from doing so except that it is obvious that the Government are broke.
Does the Minister indicate that a decision will be given early in this year? Local authorities in some cases have applied for loan facilities?
Yes.
Can the Minister say whether a decision is anticipated before 31st March?
I would not like to say "yes" and I do not want to say "no". As I said, we are consulting with all local authorities at the moment on the general level of moneys that will be available to each of them during the coming financial year for all their various housing purposes, that is, loans, grants, house-building and so forth, and it is hoped to reach a conclusion shortly in that regard as a result of these consultations, at which time we will be able to tell each local authority the overall figures they can expect during the year.
But local authorities generally need not anticipate a decision on their applications for loan facilities before 31st March?
They have been on notice for some time that the system of going ahead without awaiting loan sanction was to be discontinued because of the fact that the volume is greater than——
Does the Minister agree that they will have to be afforded to the local authorities in order that they may build houses because if there is a lull in housing activity, the danger is that building tradesmen will go to England?
I am fully alive to that.