The Minister in his introductory speech drew attention to the very large size of the Estimate for his Department. The total, including the Supplementary Estimate, amounts to over £206 million, which is a sizeable amount and an amount which identifies the Department as one of the most vital and important areas of Government and Government policy. The change of name from "Local Government" to "Environment" was long overdue and is appropriate because, as the title suggests, it embraces many aspects of our everyday lives, our homes, the air we breathe, the streets and roads we travel on, the public parks and so on.
There are specific aspects of the Department which affect some people more than others. Housing and the cost of housing affects every family, and it is this subhead that stands out above all others. The total sum to be directed to housing is something in the region of £143 million. This covers housing subsidies, private housing grants and the abolition of rates on private residential accommodation. The removal of rates was long overdue. Rates in the form we operated them were grossly unjust because they were a penal tax for having one's own home. This tax has not been wiped out completely on residential accommodation because a number of landlords, especially in Dublin, have not passed on the benefit of the abolition to their tenants. The whole purpose of abolition is to give relief to householders and residents, and many flat dwellers need this relief very badly. The Minister should investigate the many complaints being received and this House should ensure that justice is done where flat dwellers are concerned.
The Estimate is geared to create badly needed improvement in the building and construction industry. If this industry is active and in a healthy condition many benefits accrue to other sectors. That is true today, more so than ever before. During the last two years when depression hit the building industry in a really serious way many other facets of our industrial economy were equally badly affected. Building and construction has many tentacles stretching out into many other industrial and commercial spheres giving, or taking away, as the case may be, many thousands of jobs dependent on the condition of the main industry.
I am very pleased that the Minister has made improvements in housing loans, SDA loans, low mortgage loans and improvement grants and loans. I would dearly wish that improvement grant payments could be speeded up in some way. In many cases the grants have not been paid out for what seems to be an extraordinarily long period. Those on fixed incomes who carry out very necessary and long overdue repairs or improvements depend on these grants and expect reasonably fast payment of the grants. Long and seemingly unnecessary delays cause great hardship and worry. I would ask the Minister to see if this situation could be improved from the administration point of view.
Representing a Dublin constituency, I sometimes despair when I pause to consider the very serious environmental and housing problems that exist, especially in the north city inner area. The problem is so vast and varied that it is obvious that only a very large capital crash programme will bring about a reasonable solution to the problem. Some Opposition Members who have been public representatives for some years seem to have only recently discovered, since last June approximately, what is now commonly referred to as the inner city problem both inside and outside this House. The inner city problem has been festering for many years, and during the period in office of the previous Government the deterioration accelerated at an alarming rate. One has only to walk around the city within a radius of a mile from O'Connell Street to see the undeveloped state and the decay of what was once a really living fair city. Taking a look at some of the houses, which I would describe as just standing, is an experience in itself, but to think that there are families living in many of these houses should make every one of us ashamed.
We also have what are commonly referred to as high rise flats. These areas have been run down over the years. As a result of this some of these areas are now slums with all the social problems of juvenile crime, vandalism and the lack of real opportunities for the children and young people from these areas. Not alone do such areas affect normal domestic life, they also affect employment opportunities for the people living there. I can assure the House that the majority of people who live in those areas are decent people. Unfortunately they lose job opportunities which they are entitled to because of their addresses.
We must look at the whole question of urban housing and change many of the decisions that were previously taken. At one time multi-storey flats such as Ballymun seemed to be the answer to the housing problem, but in the past few years we have discovered that the social disadvantages of these flats outweigh everything else. Many of our city flat complexes are depressing, and they tend to breed the type of social problems that we hear about every day.
The Dublin Corporation housing department have made great progress in their approach to those seeking accommodation despite the serious shortage of dwellings in the city. In his speech the Minister said that 1,640 dwellings were completed last year and he estimates that 3,000 families were rehoused in 12 months. It should be borne in mind that much of the rehousing would not be acceptable to a family seeking a decent home. A great part of the existing corporation housing is substandard. I believe that the number of people seeking corporation housing will increase in future.
Many of the problems that I encounter at my weekly clinic deal with housing and I am sure that other Dublin Deputies can say the same. At present, many of the deserving housing cases have little chance of getting decent acommodation because of the points system of allocating houses. Any Dublin city public representative knows that the number of applicants for accommodation in any scheme being developed by the corporation exceeds availability by as much as eight to one. The most sought after area is Dublin north central where the limited available acommodation is mainly in flats. This is a real identification that many people prefer to live in or near the city centre. There is an onus on all of us to effect changes for improvement in the housing situation. Dublin is still developing at a fast pace and in a few years the population will exceed one million. Other capital cities have had to face the same problems, and many European countries are presently working on gigantic plans for finance at national levels.
The Dublin Corporation housing programme includes areas which are commonly known as open areas. An open area means that you can be easily rehoused because few people will accept a house in such an area. As a result slum areas are being created in the heart of the city. The city centre and surrounding area should be a showpiece in a capital city, which is normally the hub of attention. It is usual for visitors to tour the city centre and I imagine that many of them leave Dublin with a poor view of it which will not encourage their friends to visit Ireland.
There are about 800 families squatting in Dublin at present. Many of them have been evicted for non-payment of rent and for squatting. Following eviction by the corporation these families are pushed into the open areas that I referred to, mainly in the city centre in areas such as Seán McDermott Street, Gardiner Street and Sherriff Street, areas in which repairs and maintenance are at a minimum level. Before long these areas become known as ghettos or slums and are so bad that not even squatters will take accommodation in them.
The onus is on us to come up with a new deal for the deprived areas of the city. This will take a big financial injection but it must be done. If it is not, we will stand accused for all time for not making an effort to rescue our society from the depths of despair. Our Party is committed to urban renewal and work must commence without too much delay.
Many landlords are charging exorbitant rents for old and decaying houses, and the system of taking out closing orders or CPOs should be speeded up. There are a large number of such houses in my constituency and some of the landlords are using the law cleverly to delay the processing of closing orders. Meanwhile, there are tenants in those houses—old people and married couples with young children— which most of us would not consider suitable for our animals. Many of them lack proper sanitary facilities and are in such bad condition that rain water comes through the walls and the roof. In some cases, conditions are so bad inside that beds are constantly moved around because they are going through the floor boards. These conditions are real. Until some legal process is speeded up and completed, the housing department cannot and will not do anything for such tenants.
This is not right in this day and age. Certainly it is morally wrong. As we all know, bad housing is a real and important factor in the generation of poverty and its perpetuation. The most determined efforts of families to improve their conditions and raise themselves above the poverty line are defeated by the miserable conditions in which they are often forced to live. The whole basis of society can be seriously damaged. A considerable number of young couples are under terrible strain because of their inability to find suitable accommodation, or because of the terrible surroundings in which they live.
The new housing grant of £1,000 for first time buyers has been very well received, particularly by young people anxious to buy their own homes. It is a vast improvement on the older type grants which have now been discontinued. I know of many cases so far where the new grant has proved to be the decisive factor in a couple's decision to purchase their own home. This has also meant and will mean, I hope, a further upsurge in the private house building industry. From figures available so far, it has meant an additional 1,100 jobs up to the end of 1977. The additional demand for private housing unfortunately attracts its dangers in the way of selves above the poverty line are dehigher prices caused by speculators. This has the effect of defeating the Government's whole objective, which is to help people buy their own homes and to create additional jobs in the building and construction industry.
It is appreciated that there will be natural price increases due to increased labour and material costs, and so on. The Minister must do everything possible to ensure that builders, developers, or speculators, or whoever, do not inflate prices merely to cash in on the present market upsurge and the increasing demand for new houses. Nowadays more and more houses are going up on estates, generally at prices ranging from £23,000 upwards. The emphasis which at one time was on a house price to suit young couples has swung over very decisively to the more luxurious home.
This may be fine for the established family choosing to change house, to change area or district, but it makes it extremely difficult for those setting up home for the first time. It does not give them wide selectivity or choice. It is common now to hear of couples paying over £120 per month in repayment of a mortgage. Therefore it is not surprising that the working wife must continue working to help to meet such large repayments together with the usual outgoings involved in running a home.
I should like to refer briefly to the low mortgage scheme which is available for local authority housing. This scheme is very well intentioned and could undoubtedly fulfil a specific purpose but, in its present form, it is of very little benefit to those for whom it was originally set up. The maximum amount available is £7,500 and a means test or a means limit is a condition. The irony is that there is no means test for those applying for corporation housing tenancies. There is no encouragement for an applicant to consider purchasing a house privately. The Minister should look into this point with a view to bringing some reality into it, particularly in the light of the serious housing shortage in the city at present.
I am glad the Minister is planning to increase the money to be spent on road development by as much as 40 per cent over last year's expenditure. Generally speaking, some of our main roads, such as the Dublin-Cork road, the Dublin-Limerick road and so on, are quite good, but many link roads are in a deplorable condition. In this area much increased employment can be achieved. Under this Estimate an additional 1,200 road workers will be employed.
In Dublin city, traffic has become a major headache. Traffic jams continue to be a very big problem. The newly erected Talbot Bridge has done nothing to ease traffic coming from the north side. Indeed, I have received many complaints that the opposite is the case. Workers are finding that they must leave their homes earlier as longer delays are taking place in getting to work and in coming from work in the evening. Even during the day we now have traffic building up as far back as North Strand Road. This is something we did not experience previously, and particularly during the off peak hours.
The whole question of heavy commercial traffic through the city centre during the day and at peak hours should be re-examined. It is ridiculous to see juggernauts and heavy containers being driven through the city centre at peak times. Apart from the fact that many of our streets are not suitable for such heavy traffic, people coming to and going from work are seriously affected and, in many cases, are actually pushed off the roads. The size of the traffic is intimidating to the average motorist.
Such heavy traffic is also a serious cause of air pollution when one considers the fumes rising into the air when traffic blocks the streets. For instance, if one is going through Pearse Street any afternoon from 5 o'clock to 6 o'clock one has only to look at the condition of the buildings and cannot but be seriously concerned. Constant checks should be maintained and deliberate offenders causing this pollution should be quickly brought to book. There must also be a very strict monitoring of industries, particularly industries engaged in chemical processing. The environment should not be put at risk even due to the expected increase in industrial activity. This is very important to the health of our people, our children and future generations.
Unfortunately the death toll and the number of accidents on our roads continue. Every weekend there is a serious accident resulting in death. Alcohol plays a very big part in too many road accidents. There is concern that the breathalyser has had to be suspended. This was due to the various technical loopholes that were brought to light. If we are to judge by the numbers of cars to be seen outside the many public houses there are many people who drive after heavy drinking. I am not referring to the person who takes a drink socially and who is responsible in regard to his driving, but there are far too many of the other kind. These people are a menace not only to themselves but to all other road users. There should be more Garda activity in this area. Slaughter on the roads has reached alarming proportions and has been responsible for as much loss of life as has been experienced in Northern Ireland as a result of the troubles there.
I have no sympathy whatever with the James Hunts who drive to their destinations as if they should have got there hours earlier. However, on good open roads there is a case to be made for increasing the speed limit to 70 miles per hour. This could provide the safety value that is needed by so many of our drivers.
There is a case to be made, too, for more consistency in the courts in relation to traffic offences. The various district justices deal with such offences in different ways. The average motorist is very careful in a certain southern area, for instance, in regard to speed while in other areas motorists are prepared to take chances. There is a big difference between the prospect in one area of a 12-months suspension and the prospect of a small fine in another area. Another important factor in regard to road safety is the condition of cars and other vehicles. There are far too many vehicles on the road that are in such condition as to render them a danger. Consequently many accidents are caused without any apparent reason. In this city there are many backlane garages and in some of these premises cars that are written off following accidents are literally put together again. A person can be fooled by a good repaint job when he goes looking for a car at a reasonable price. When a vehicle is considered a writeoff by an insurance company the onus should be on the company to ensure that that vehicle is scrapped beyond reassembly, thereby eliminating the possibility of an unscrupulous car dealer putting together again what were twisted chassis and frames.
In a country where there is so much dependence on tourism it is regrettable that many of our main roads are not properly signposted. Although there has been much improvement in this regard down through the years, not enough has been done. Anybody travelling around the country will find signposts that have been turned in opposite directions by vandals or immature people. This causes much confusion to travellers. Local councils should use a more sturdy type of signpost in order to eliminate this vandalism.
There have been suggestions that in Dublin the Royal Canal should be filled in and developed as a motorway, but in this city, as in any other city, efforts should be made to improve whatever amenities remain. A water way in a city can be very attractive but it must be properly maintained. Unfortunately the general condition of the Royal Canal leaves much to be desired. Last weekend I walked along the canal bank for some distance from Jones's Road, and apart from the very dirty water that had receded almost two feet from the bank I saw in the canal such items as old bicycle frames, prams and a collection of other rubbish as well as two animal carcases.
Dublin Corporation appointed a committee for the purpose of maintaining the canal and an effort was made recently to clean it up. Such efforts should be sustained. The condition of the canal is disgraceful. I trust that those people charged with the task of maintaining the canals will ensure that the situation improves. The imposition of penalties for dumping refuse in our waterways would be a deterrent in this regard.
Under the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1976, local authorities may assist those engaged in animal welfare. However, I do not think that authorities are flexible enough in this respect. In this city there is an enormous number of stray cats and dogs. This situation causes very serious problems, particularly in large housing areas. These animals are set free and go hungry around the streets. I note that the Minister will be advising local authorities of new powers to deal with this problem. The ISPCA are doing a very good job in difficult circumstances, but they continually engage in what can be called a clearing up process, that is, the removal of stray animals from the streets.
For some time people involved in the area of animal welfare have been advocating the neutering of dogs and cats in order to control their numbers. Such operations are being carried out privately but unfortunately not enough people realise how serious is the problem of strays. Recently a hotel in this city found it necessary to call in animal welfare specialists because the hotel grounds had become over-run by wild cats. During a couple of weeks 200 wild cats were caged, many of which were badly deformed. There are similar problems in the city centre. Unless some form of control is imposed, this problem will have very serious consequences in the future. There are great demands on the Department of the Environment. I wish the Minister well in the expenditure of the large sums of money on various environmental improvements and the completion of the programmes envisaged.
