Vol. 401 No. 4
4 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for the Environment if he will outline (a) the local authority house building schemes for which tenders have been approved to date in 1990, (b) the total number of houses which these schemes will provide, (c) the total number of houses which have been approved for purchase by local authorities, and (d) if, in view of the long housing waiting lists, he will consider declaring a housing emergency; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Revised procedures for the provision and acquisition of houses by local authorities are effective for the 1990 local authority housing programme. Under these procedures, the sanction of my Department is generally not required for tenders for schemes of 12 dwellings or less or for the acquisition of individual dwellings, subject to any expenditure arising this year being met from the capital allocation notified to each housing authority on 22 February last. The 1990 programme is, however, well advanced and will yield in the order of 1,200 starts and about 50 purchases/acquisitions.
There is no question of a housing emergency arising. In this regard I would refer the Deputy to my contribution to the debate on Local Authority Housing in this House on 13 March 1990, as reported at column 2420 of the Official Report.
In view of the fact that there are more than 20,000 applicants on local authority waiting lists, that many of them have been on that list for a number of years, that there is serious over-crowding, that many of the applicants are being exploited by private landlords and that there is a housing crisis, the worst that we have seen for at least a decade, will the Minister accept that his reply to my question amounts to no more than he told me six months ago? Will the Minister indicate how many of the 1,200 proposed house starts have started and how many of the 50 promised house purchases have been gone through?
The assessment was carried out under section 9 of the 1989 Act and it indicates that there are approximately 9,400 applicants and there are expected to be 5,000 lettings this year made up of 3,800 casual vacancies and 1,200 new dwellings. The Deputy will recognise that £33 million has been allocated this year under the housing construction programme. That represents an increase of more than 50 per cent on the corresponding figure for last year. There is a definite movement towards an increase in the housing allocation this year.
I am a member of two local authorities who are awaiting approval from the Department of the Environment for house construction and house purchase. I am trying to establish how many of the 1,200 houses we were promised for 1990 have commenced and how many of the 50 we were promised would be purchased by local authorities have been purchased. It is the case, as I believe it to be, that very few houses have started and that by the end of the year we will see very few of the 1,200 house starts promised? Is the Minister in a position to give me an answer to those questions?
I must dissuade the Deputy from making a speech.
I am satisfied that the number of house starts I indicated will commence this year.
How many?
It is obvious that the Minister does not know.
Is the Minister in a position to give us an estimate?
It will be obvious that there has been a change this year in that local authorities have a discretion in this matter. I am satisfied that there will be 1,200 starts and 50 purchases or acquisitions.
Is it the case that there has not been a single start this year?
This is leading to argument and I am calling the next question. Deputy Gilmore should resume his seat.
The Deputies opposite will be disappointed at the end of the year when they see my figures.
The Minister does not know the answer to the question.
In fact, the figure will be greater than 1,200.
The Minister should tell the truth.
