asked the Minister for Local Government if he will ascertain and state separately in respect of Counties Meath, Louth and Dublin as regards SDA housing loans raised by each housing authority since 1st July, 1965 (a) total loans, (b) total funds realised or received, (c) number of applicants awaiting loans, (d) amounts required to accommodate applicants, and (e) number of applicants on waiting lists on 1st October, 1965 who have not yet obtained loans.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Loans.
15.
Since 1st July, 1965, loans of £30,000 and £350,000 for the making of house purchase loans were sanctioned in the case of Meath County Council and Dublin County Council, respectively, while no loan was sanctioned in the case of Louth County Council for the purpose. Loan instalments totalling £200,000 were issued from the Local Loans Fund to Dublin County Council in respect of loans sanctioned since 1st July last. In addition, loan instalments totalling £60,000, £200,000 and £40,000 were issued from the Fund to Meath County Council, Dublin County Council and Louth County Council, respectively, in respect of loans sanctioned prior to 1st July last.
The information required at (c), (d) and (e) of the question is not available in my Department.
Would the Minister be able to say, at this stage, when he proposes to make the next loan allocation to Meath County Council?
I hope, within the next ten days or so, to indicate to each council what amount they may expect for the various purposes. The drawing of the instalments of those amounts during the year will be dealt with in the normal way.
Surely the Minister is aware that the housing programme for next year is badly held up because of the fact that the local authorities do not know what their position is, particularly as most of them have a backlog of applications from this financial year? Would the Minister not agree that they should be notified what their position is?
The assessment of the amount to be divided proved to be much more difficult than anticipated and it has been held up rather longer than expected.
May I assume that, when the Minister referred to a circular, it will issue to each county council, including the Monaghan County Council?
We will not leave Monaghan out. The circular refers to the general allocation of SDA money, supplementary grants and the amount of money available for schemes for local authority housing. A circular will be issued in regard to those three headings to each housing authority.
There is not truth in the rumour, therefore, that the Minister proposes to give a blanket amount of money which can be used by local authorities under any heading?
It might well be that there may be a blanket by the local authorities with regard to this. At this stage there are varying broad figures under separate headings but the councils may take different views.
Could the Minister tell us how he arrives at the allocation of the money?
Many factors were taken into consideration such as the information we required on the programme proposed by the councils, the amount of work they have been doing in the recent past, the point at which they are submitting their figures for the allocation of money, their local commitments and so on.
Are the local applications taken in?
Those various factors were taken into consideration and the information was got from the local authorities.
Is it not true that the Minister indicated to Mayo County Council some years ago that he would be prepared to consider allocations within £76,000 for new housing?
This question refers to counties Meath, Louth and Dublin, and not to Mayo.
I am afraid the Deputy would have to give notice of that question. I do not know offhand.
We were informed that that was so.
That does not apply on this question.