asked the Minister for Local Government if he has yet received the report which he said last week he was awaiting from Dublin County Council relating to housing loans; and, if so, when he expects to announce his decision on this urgent matter.
21.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Loans.
20.
asked the Minister for Local Government when Dublin County Council and Dublin Corporation will be in a position to re-commence issuing housing loans under the SDA Acts.
22.
asked the Minister for Local Government what advice he has to offer to people who are seeking house building loans from Dublin County Council where no loan applications are at present being processed.
23.
asked the Minister for Local Government if in the present situation where local authority house building loans are not available he will so subsidise loans from other sources as to make them as attractive as local authority loans.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 21, 22, and 23 together. I will be able to assess the position in the county as soon as I receive the report mentioned in my reply to Questions Nos. 55, 56, and 57 on 23rd October last, for which I asked the local authority over a month ago.
As to subsidising housing loans from sources other than local authorities, I should make it clear that the interest rate charged on most of these loans is about the same as that charged by local authorities generally. While the longer loan period of 35 years applicable to local authority loans means that the annual repayments are lower, the aggregate of these repayments is much higher.
As I announced in the White Paper, Housing in the Seventies, published last June, I intend to increase the rate of State grant for smaller houses commenced on or after 1st October, 1969, by £50, or more, depending on size. A local authority may pay increases of a like amount in their supplementary grants. These changes are in addition to the stamp duty concession, worth about £40 on a house costing £4,000, which was implemented in the Finance Act, 1969. I do not propose to add to these concessions, which apply to borrowers from local authorities as well as to other borrowers.
Do I understand the Minister to say that he has not yet got the report from Dublin county?
That is right.
The Minister is waiting for it?