asked the Minister for Local Government if he will state the agreed prices in respect of devolved housing works during the transitional financial period 1974.
21.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Housing Statistics.
17.
asked the Minister for Local Government the highest and the lowest price paid in respect of the construction of a local authority house by Galway County Council during 1973-74.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 21 together.
There are no "agreed prices" for devolved works for this period. I presume the Deputy is referring to unit building cost limits for devolved housing schemes, which are agreed from time to time between officials of each housing authority and of my Department and are adjusted as local circumstances may require at any time. The Deputy should appreciate that it is necessary to maintain confidentiality about these unit costs, and that it would not be in the public interest to publicise them.
Details of tender prices accepted by Galway County Council for schemes of 60 houses and under and for individual rural cottages are not available in my Department, as these schemes are now dealt with by the council on their own responsibility. No scheme of over 60 houses was undertaken by them in 1973-74.
18.
asked the Minister for Local Government the number of new houses completed in the year ended 31st March, 1974.
The number of new dwellings completed in the year ended 31st March, 1974, was 25,365 comprising 6,539 local authority and 18,826 private dwellings.
As a matter of interest, the corresponding figure for the previous year was 21,647.
Would the Minister agree these figures have been cooked?
No. The figures are correct and, if the Deputy was responsible for the cooking of the previous year's figures, he cannot blame me or attempt now to say I followed suit.
Is the Minister aware that it is common knowledge throughout local authorities that special means were used to increase the number of completions to be recorded in that year and——
About which year is the Deputy talking?
——these bloated figures now affect the present year?
What year?
The last year.
Would the Deputy care to say what he means by local authorities "bloating" figures? Is it suggested there was something irregular done by local authorities?
I did not state that local authorities were bloating the figures. I said it was common knowledge among local authorities that the Department had bloated the figures, not the local authorities.
The figures I have just given were supplied by the local authorities and there is just no way in which they could be interfered with. I am prepared to state categorically that they are correct. If it was the practice to attempt to bloat them, or change them, in previous years, that practice has now been stopped.
Deputies
Hear, hear.
Nobody in the local authorities would believe the Minister of course.
19.
asked the Minister for Local Government the number of dwellings begun or authorised during 1972-73 and 1973-74 in the form of Table 2 of the Quarterly Bulletin of Housing Statistics.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
Dwellings Begun or Authorised
|
Year ended 31st March |
For Letting |
For Purchase |
Special Projects |
Dwellings for which Grants were allocated by Department of Local Government |
Other State-aided dwellings |
Conversions |
Total |
|
1973 |
7,188 |
14 |
— |
24,394 |
401 |
800 |
32,797 |
|
1974 |
not yet available |
20.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will increase the grants available to disabled persons for reconstruction and alteration of their homes.
I am examining the level of grants payable in respect of the adaptation of dwellings occupied by disabled persons as part of the comprehensive review of reconstruction and improvement grants.
Could the Minister indicate when this review will be completed or whether it is going on at the moment and nearing completion?
This is not something on which a decision can be made very quickly. The original arrangement for grants was introduced in 1972 in respect of work started after 1st February, 1972, which is a relatively short time ago, and until I have all the details of this and other types of grants, which I am having considered, I would not be in a position to give any further details.
Would the Minister agree that the usefulness of these grants has been dissipated somewhat due to exceptional increases in building costs and building materials in particular in the intervening period? Surely he has had representations, as I had, from disabled associations, such as the Irish Wheelchair Association, that these grants must be increased substantially if they are to be availed of by the persons for whom they were introduced.
A questionnaire has been sent to local authorities to try to find out what the progress is to date, including questions as to the number of applications received, grants paid and costs, and all these have to be taken into consideration. I am satisfied that the grants applicable in a number of schemes are not, in fact, in line with present day building costs or with other schemes in which no increase was made in the grants and, until I get the final figures, I cannot give any information to the Deputy.
Would the Minister agree that the number of applications may not be so significant now as quite large numbers of these disabled persons are not applying for the grants since it is of no use because of increased costs? This would affect the number of persons applying.
I would not agree at all. A volume of grant applications is coming in.
22.
asked the Minister for Local Government the number of local authority houses completed by Galway County Council during 1973-74.
Galway County Council provided a total of 130 dwellings in the year ended 31st March, 1974. Included in this total are 20 prefabricated-demountable dwellings and 29 caravans or mobile homes.
I might say, on the figures for the previous year there was a total of 53, of which 26 were demountable or mobile homes.
23.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that a person (details supplied) in Moycullen, County Galway, has been denied an opportunity of purchasing his local authority house by Galway County Council; and if he will take steps to remedy this situation.
I understand that this house will be included in a purchase scheme which is being prepared by the local authority and which will be ready shortly.
24.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he considers that tenants of local authority houses should themselves carry the full cost of installing electricity in such houses.
The answer is no. Normally this cost is included in the capital cost of the housing scheme or cottages for loan and subsidy purposes. In so far as there are existing local authority houses without electricity I would consider that the cost of installation in the dwelling should be borne by the local authority.
Is the Minister aware that Galway County Council have refused to carry the cost? I would ask the Minister to let the council know his feelings.
I propose to do that, but I would point out that, if local authority members in Galway had pressed the matter, I am quite sure there would have been a decision, or if my predecessor, who must have been aware of this over the years——
It would be more helpful if the Minister would cease assuming things and just answer the question.
I do not have to assume. My predecessor did not deal with it.
25.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he favours the provision of a rear access to local authority houses.
I do. I have said so on many occasions—the latest on the 22nd April, 1974, in Nenagh, when I said that I do not accept arguments for the omission of such rear access ways and that there is no good reason why local authority tenants should have to bring fuel, manures and so on through their hall doors.
Is it the intention to instruct the various county councils——
The Deputy will be glad to know I have already done so.
Even Waterford County Council?
Even Waterford County Council, the Deputy will be glad to know. It is only fair to local authorities to say that it was departmental policy that local authorities should save on rear entrances by not providing them where there would be a saving in cost. I do not agree with that point of view.